Infectious
by SLynn
Summary: Events occur that make Mal and the crew question Wash's allegence. Takes place before the series begins, but includes all of the core crew regulars. End notes moved to Ch15. COMPLETE!
1. An Old Friend

**Infectious by SLynn**

**_Notes:_**  This all takes place before well before the series begins, about a year after the core crew was assembled.  I'm doing a lot of assuming here.  Hope you like it.  

And for the record, I hate Fox.  Damn them and their stupid millionaire.  Not that I'm bitter.

**Chapter 1:  An Old Friend**

Wash sat in his bunk enjoying a rare night off, going over transmissions from friends and such that had been backed up for the last month.  Mal had decided he wanted to play pilot for awhile and since the course was already laid in and the were hundreds of thousands of leagues away from anything, Wash had agreed.  Agreed is perhaps too strong of a word for it, Mal was the captain after all and calling the shots.  After nearly a year on Serenity Wash was still adjusting to that idea.  He'd never had anyone telling him what to do, at least not since he left home.  Even on other ships he'd really been left to do his own thing.  But now he was part of a crew, and crews took orders.  He didn't like it, but the pay was good and so was the company.  He liked Mal, had respect for him, which made taking orders easier.  Not easy, but easier.  

Quickly deleting three unopened transmissions that were too old to bother with, Wash skipped ahead to one that looked promising.

Adrienne Lee.

Wash smiled and shook his head a bit. 

'Man it's been a long time,' he thought.

Reading it over, twice, his smile grew larger.  She sounded exactly the way he remembered her:  brash, hard-assed and arrogant.  Only thing that seemed to have changed was her address.  She was now living on an out of the way planet called Medea.  More importantly, she wanted to see him.

Wash jumped off the bunk and headed up the ladder to the bridge.  As he expected he found Mal there with Zoë.  He didn't understand their relationship.  When he'd first come on board he'd kind of assumed they were together, but it didn't take long for him to see it wasn't like that.  If anything what they had, though seemingly platonic, meant more.

"Hey Mal," Wash interjected as soon as possible, "how close are we going to get to Medea when we drop off our latest cargo?"

Mal looked up at him for a minute and kind of shrugged.

"You're the pilot.  You tell me."

Wash thought he'd seen the corners of Zoë's mouth lift momentarily, almost smiling.  He was taken back a bit, in thought.

'She should do that more.'

"Wash?"

"Yeah," he said whipping his head back towards Mal's voice, not really sure what he was responding too.    

"I asked you 'Why do you want to know?'" Mal repeated, stressing each syllable.

"Oh, a friend of mine is there.  Has cargo that needs transporting to Jubilee.  Willing to pay too, credits or foodstuff, your choice."

"What kind of cargo is it?"

"Five crates, didn't say what.  I didn't think we cared."

"We don't," Mal said, his voice remaining flat.  "So what's this friend of yours do for a living?"

"Lee's a Bio-Technology Engineer."

Mal and Zoë just stared at him.

"You know, develops new ways to produce foodstuff and the like on desolate planets."

Still they stared.

"What?  I know smart people."

Finally Zoë laughed and Mal smiled.  Wash tried looking indigent, but truth was, he was kind of amazed he knew Adrienne too.

'Wait till they see her,' he thought, suppressing a smile.

"Should I transmit back, let 'em know it's a go?"

"Yeah, sounds good.  Tell them we want credits.  We can buy foodstuff anywhere."

"Will do," Wash said as he turned to go.

"Wash," Mal called back, stopping him before he got a few steps out of the door, "this isn't Alliance work is it?"

"No, definitely not.  From the sounds of the transmission, they wanted us to avoid the Alliance.  Sounded like black market stuff to me."

"Good then," was all Mal said before turning back around.

Wash lingered a minute, not sure if he was done or not.  Zoë just gave him that look, one she reserves for times when she thinks Mal's being a bit too Mal.  Wash smiled back at her and left them to their chat.

On the way he allowed himself a brief moment to reflect on Zoë.  She was a mystery to him.  It was no secret that she hadn't liked him when he'd first gotten the job, but gradually she'd come around.  They talked and laughed now like friends.  It was nice.  Lately though, something between them had begun to change.  She looked at him more and he, who was never opposed to looking at her in the first place, looked back.  She laughed at his jokes, all of his jokes, and seemed to want to make him laugh in return.  It was special and uniquely theirs.  He didn't know what it was, or if was anything, but he didn't want it to stop.

As soon as he got back to his bunk he transmitted the reply to let Adrienne know when to expect them.

'This is going to be great,' was all he could think before finally drifting off to sleep.

****

Two days later found them landing on the only large port Medea had to offer.  Medea wasn't really a full fledge planet, but a moon.  It was small and sparsely populated.  Lately, largely due to bio-tech engineering, it had begun to grow.  No one wanted to move to anywhere that couldn't at least sustain life, and Medea just barely qualified.

"Gee," Kaylee said surveying the so-called port town, "and I left home for the splendor that is this."

"Yeah, it's a something isn't it," Wash laughed, "You interested in seeing the sights?  I'm suppose to meet up with Lee at what I understand is the only watering hole this planet has to offer."

"I think I've already _seen_ the sights," Kaylee replied, "I should really check over the engines again anyways.  I don't like the sound they've been making on take off."

"Now I know we're in a hellhole if little Kaylee doesn't even want to leave the ship," Jayne said, coming up and startling Wash a bit.

Wash still wasn't comfortable with Jayne.  Of course he was a mercenary, and most normal people weren't comfortable with mercenaries.  Jayne wasn't all bad, he was just unnerving.  

Jayne, never one for chatting, just kept on walking down the loading ramp and into the town.

"So, when do we meet this Lee?" Mal asked, the next to show up with Zoë close behind.

"Yeah, we want to see your smart friends," Zoë smiled.

Her smiles had a way of melting him.  He knew she was tough as nails, but there was something about her that made him almost giddy.  She'd kill him if he'd ever said that out loud, but it was true.

"Right this way," Wash said, leading them down the ramp and into the town.

It hadn't taken long to reach the place; it was notably the only one around actually doing business.

"So, where is…" the words died on Mal's lips as a woman who could only be described as stunning approached.

She was petite, tiny really, with thick auburn hair tied back loosely.  Despite being dressed in field clothes, you could make out her slim figure.  She immediately went up to Wash and hugged him tightly.

"It has been way to long," she smiled up at him, completely ignoring both Mal and Zoë.

"Yes it has," was all he could say in response.

"Wash, do you mind?" Mal interrupted.

"Oh, sorry.  Mal, Zoë, this is Adrienne Lee."

"Nice to meet you both," she said, hardly turning from Wash, "come on, I saved us a table in back."

Wash and Mal followed her closely, while Zoë hovered for a minute first.

"Just great," she muttered, finally turning to go with them.

****

It hadn't taken long to come to an agreement.  They'd take the five crates to Jubilee for 1,000 credits.  It was quite a bit of money for such small cargo, the crates altogether were less then a meter squared.  Adrienne's only stipulation was that they were under no circumstance to be opened.  At first, Mal hadn't liked that idea.  He didn't like not knowing what was coming aboard his ship.  They finally agreed to a compromise where Wash would at least watch the crates being packed.  That being done, Mal and Zoë left them alone.  They weren't leaving until the next morning and Wash, aside from being a big boy, had his communicator if they needed to reach him.  Only Zoë seemed to object to that last part.

"You don't think that this is a bad idea?" she asked Mal on the way home.

"Why?" he asked in return, somewhat baffled by her reaction.

"She's a client Mal, and there is obviously something going on between the two of them.  Don't you always say you shouldn't mix business with pleasure?"

"I'll admit, it complicates things, but I don't see anything wrong here.  We'll be gone tomorrow.  It's not like she's coming with us."

"I just don't like it," she said as they walked up the ramp.

As she headed off to her room, Mal just stared after her not knowing what to think.  

****

The next morning Kaylee and Inara were already in the mess having breakfast.

"So he really didn't come back last night?" Inara was asking as Zoë came in.

"Yeah," Kaylee answered, "I don't know where he was but it wasn't on this ship."

"Who?"  Zoë asked, afraid she already knew the answer.

"Wash," Kaylee replied, just finishing up and taking her plate to the sink.

Zoë stood still for a minute and then continued what she was doing.

"You saw her, right Zoë?" the girl asked, "Capt'n said she was pretty _and_ all over him last night.  Is it true?"

"Don't see what difference it makes," was all she said, her voice a bit too sedate, even by her standards.

"What's this," Inara interjected a playful smile on her lips, "are you jealous?"

If looks could kill, it would have been the last thing the companion ever said.

"No," Zoë said calmly, "I just don't think it's appropriate.  It's business.  He can't go off jumping into bed…"

It ended there as Wash walked in.

"Morning," he said, seemingly unaware he was just being discussed by the three.

"Good morning," Kaylee chirped, "how'd you sleep?"

It was Kaylee's turn to get the look of death from Zoë, which she promptly ignored.

"Fine," Wash answered a bit skeptically, "and you?"

"Never better," Kaylee said barely suppressing a laugh.

"We were just leaving," Inara said getting up and pushing Kaylee out of the room.

"What's wrong with them?" Wash asked to Zoë, also oblivious to the glares she was sending his way.

"Who knows," was all she said as she sat down to eat.

"Got the cargo loaded and in the storage bay," he continued, unsure where all the tension in the room was coming from.

"Good," she replied curtly.

"Yeah," he said, "guess I should go make sure we're ready to take off."

"Probably."

He was about to leave, but instead stopped in the doorway for a second.

"I didn't sleep with her," he said without turning around.

Zoë said nothing, but did stop eating.

"We don't have _that_ kind of relationship, Lee and I." he continued, feeling the need to clarify what they did have.

"Doesn't matter," Zoë said, but her voice had lost all of the terseness that had previously been there.

"Yeah well," Wash started, but then just decided on leaving.

Zoë, alone in the mess, smiled.


	2. Tension

**Infectious by SLynn**

**Chapter 2:  Tension**

The course was set and they were well on their way.  Jubilee would take roughly a week to reach under normal circumstances, but Mal, being his usual self, wanted to go the long way, meaning a week long trip was turning into an eighteen day adventure on the far side of space.  

Eighteen long days.  What was worse was Zoë had begun to act differently around him.  Wash had been surprised to find so much animosity in her that morning on Medea, but he hadn't expected it to be this bad or to last this long.  She was ignoring him.  Worse then that, she had been avoiding him for two days now.  It was going to be a long trip.

He sat in the pilot's chair just staring.  Nothing had happened, that's what killed him.  He'd told her that, but it didn't seem to make a difference.  He didn't know why it should even matter if Adrienne and him had had sex.  It wasn't like there was anything going on between Zoë and him.  He didn't owe anyone an explanation, especially her.  That didn't explain why he felt he had to give her one.  It was so confusing.  His head was starting to hurt just thinking about it.

"Hey," Kaylee said from the doorway, startling him from his thoughts.

"Hey," Wash said, trying to sound normal, like he hadn't been up here moping.

"Still not talking huh?"

Wash gave her a look, but then relented and just nodded.

"She'll come around.  She can't stay mad forever."

"I don't know why she's mad in the first place," Wash sighed, "besides, I think Zoë is exactly the type that _could stay mad forever."_

Kaylee just laughed, and then looked at him seriously.

"You don't look good."

"I shouldn't, I feel like crap.  Haven't been sleeping right is all.  It's nothing."

Kaylee leaned in closer to him and placed a hand on his forehead.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I think your running a temperature.  You should go rest."

She sounded worried.

"I'm fine," he said, "_really_.  Just been thinking too much.  My brains not use to it so it's overheating."

"It's not funny Wash," Kaylee said, not giving an inch, "you could be really sick."

"You're overreacting," he said dismissively, "change in climate.  Warmth of planets versus cold of space.  Happens all the time."

"Okay, but you should at least take something for it before you go to sleep tonight."

"Sure," he said, not really listening anymore.  His mind was still clearly elsewhere.

Kaylee just rolled her eyes and left.

'Men,' she thought.

****

Kaylee joined Jayne, Mal and Inara in the common room.  They had been playing cards for money and Mal, as usual, was winning.

"Hey Cap'n," Kaylee said, taking a seat nearest him, "I think Wash is coming down with a bug or something."

"What, he sending you down here now to get out of work?" Jayne smirked, still focusing on the cards in his hand.

"No," Kaylee replied in a tone only she could get away with to Jayne, "in true male fashion he's completely denying it.  But he is running a fever.  He shouldn't even be out of bed."

"Wash is an adult Kaylee," Mal sighed, placing another card on the table, "he doesn't need mothering.  If he's sick he knows full well he can just go take a rest."

Kaylee gave Inara a look, asking her to jump in.

"I don't know Mal," Inara said, trumping the card he'd just placed with one of her own, "you men are stubborn.   I can't recall a time when any of you have ever taken a rest without there being a gun wound involved."

Jayne smiled as if he was reliving a fond memory and then glancing at his cards again folded.

"I just run this ship, not your lives."

Kaylee and Inara laughed at the same time.

"No really, you should go tell him to take a break," Inara continued.

"Come on Cap'n, what harm would it do?" Kaylee added.

"Fine, I'll tell him to take the night off.  Satisfied?"

"I am now," Inara smiled as she laid down her cards, winning for the first time all night.

****

Zoë, knowing that sooner or later she was going to have to try and make things right between her and Wash again, entered the bridge.  As she expected, he was alone.  She had waited till now knowing everyone else would be engaged in the weekly card game.  It didn't make it easier, but at least she wouldn't have to worry about anyone interrupting them.

"Got a minute," she asked as she leaned against the deck directly across from him.

"I've got a few," Wash responded, somewhat surprised to see her.

"I haven't exactly been fair to you these last few days.  I did mean what I said, it isn't my business what you do with your life or who you spend your time with."

"You sure didn't make it feel that way."

"I know and I'm sorry."

Wash just stared at her.  They were words he'd never thought he'd hear from her lips.  'I'm sorry.'  Somehow, it made him feel wrong.

"You don't have to apologize," he said looking down and shaking his head.

"Yes I do.  So just accept it so we can move on."

"Okay, fine.  I accept.  But, you have to tell me something first," he said giving her a smile and then more seriously, "Why did it bother you?"

The room suddenly felt too small.  Zoë wasn't ready to ask herself that question yet, let alone give Wash an answer to it.  They just looked at each other, really looked, each unsure of what they were seeing.  The air grew thick between them, but not like before.  This was a different kind of tension.  The good kind.  Wash wasn't sure if Kaylee had been right before, but he certainly felt like he had a fever now.

The mood was broken before it could fully form by the arrival of Mal.

"Wash.  Kaylee says you're too sick to work.  Why are you still up here?"

Zoë looked away first, something she wasn't accustomed to doing.

"She's overreacting.  I'm fine," Wash answered, reluctantly turning his eyes from Zoë.

"Uh huh," Mal said, then turning to Zoë, "you're the closest we have to a doctor round here, what you think?"

She slowly closed the distance between Wash and herself and felt her own temperature rise in the process.  He just looked up at her and then slowly shut his eyes as she placed a hand to his forehead.  Her touch had been tentative at first, but then she pressed her hand fully against his skin.

"You are warm," she said, somewhat concerned, "Really warm.  Wash, I think Kaylee's right.  You should be lying down."

"You heard her, get out of here," Mal instructed, purposely ignoring whatever it was that was going on between the two of them.

Wash just nodded and stood to leave.  Truth be told, he _was_ starting to feel worse.  His head felt thick.  He hoped he would sleep tonight and that tomorrow he'd fully be himself again.

Zoë and Mal watched him go.

"Everything alright here?" Mal asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.

"Fine, everything's fine," Zoë said, somewhat distracted and still looking at the door Wash had exited, "Maybe I should make sure he gets to his room.  He didn't look steady."

"If you really think that's…" 

Zoë had already left before he could finish, practically running to catch up to him.  She did just as he had begun to stumble down the few stairs remaining at the bottom of the run.

"Whoa," Zoë said, grabbing hold and place an arm around his back to help support him.

"Guess I'm sicker then I thought," he kind of laughed, but his eyes were visibly cloudy.

"Yes, you are.  Come on, we're going to the infirmary."

"We _have_ an infirmary?" his voice sounded thick.

"Yeah, it's that room where we keep the spare guns," Zoë deadpanned.

Wash laughed again, but it didn't have its usual quality.

As soon as they got there, Zoë helped him to lie down on the nearest bed.

"It's bright in here," Wash said, squinting up at the lights.

Zoë took the hint and dimmed them as best she could.  Next, she took his temperature and drew some blood.  She didn't have a whole lot of medical experience, but she did have more then the rest of the crew.  She'd done some work in the field during the war.  The conditions aboard Serenity were a vast improvement.  They even had access to a onboard index of common medical maladies.  One which she knew she'd be combing through till she found the answer.  This wasn't just a fever.  Fevers didn't suddenly turn like this.

Wash had apparently drifted off as Zoë did the few tests she knew to run.  So far nothing.  His temperature was up to 103 degrees.  Not good.

"What happened?" Mal asked, concerned to find that they had come here.

"I'm not sure, but I think he's really sick."

"Any idea what he has?"

"No," Zoë sighed, "he only has a few symptoms.  A fever, some slurred speech and loss of coordination."

"Could be drunk," Mal said in attempt to lighten the mood.

Zoë wasn't biting.

"You check the index?"

"Not yet.  I wouldn't know what I was looking for if I did."

"Well, it couldn't hurt."

"You're right," Zoë agreed turning towards the reference section.

Mal came over and watched from behind.

Zoë entered in the systems and began the search.  'Fever/slurred speech/sudden loss of coordination'  Before she continued, as an afterthought she added 'light sensitivity'

It didn't take long to come up with a list, a surprisingly short list.  Only three items long.  

The first was a type of flu known as the 'Cattle Herders Flu', and it wasn't really a possibility.  They'd all been vaccinated four months earlier when an outbreak had occurred on a planet they'd been delivering goods too.

The second was also not possible.  It was commonly called 'Hera's Curse' and only affected women.

That left only the third option.  'Dredge's Disease'  It was actually a misnomer, since Dredge's wasn't really caused by an infection, but by a parasite.

Mal and Zoë read in astonishment what the disease was expected to do.  It was characterized by a high fever and usually not much else; the other symptoms were secondary and might not occur in all patients.  Most commonly, patients became delusional and had hallucinations, but that was mainly fever induced.  The trademark of the 'disease' was the infection site.  A parasite, known as a Dredge, had to burrow into the skin to cause the illness.  Once inside, it began emitting a liquid which poisoned the host, and then planted its eggs which, when they hatched, fed off of the remains of the victim.  They laid anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000 eggs in a host.  Dredge's normally only infected livestock, but several human cases had occurred recently.  The only cure was to rid the body of the parasite, something not easily done since it had to be removed in its entirety and the nasty bugs had a way of holding tight.  Chances of survival were listed as 1 in 99 with proper medical treatment and early detection.

As soon as they had finished they immediately went to Wash.  Zoë began to quickly undo his shirt and check for the rash.  His arms and torso were clear on the front, but as she turned him on his side she saw it.  It was unmistakable.  On his lower back was a black circle, no bigger then the tip of her pinky.  Upon looking closer she saw what she had been afraid of.  Emitting from the circle were black streaks in all directions.  The poison had already begun to spread.


	3. Dead Ends

**Infectious by SLynn**

**Chapter 3:  Dead Ends**

If good news travels fast then bad news must travel at light speed.  Before Zoë was even able to fully comprehend the depth of the problem, the entire ship knew.  Granted there were only six of them but she thought Mal could keep his mouth shut tighter then that.

She had set out relaying messages to various outposts and ships asking for doctors and any relevant information regards 'Dredge's'.  So far, nothing.  Or at least, no one was willing to help.

The biggest mystery seemed to be exactly where he could have picked up the nasty little bug.  They'd only been to two planets in the last week and both of them had never had outbreaks.  If they were on the ship then the odds of only one of them getting infected were staggering.  These things lived in colonies.  Everything she read about them indicated they would burrow through steel if they even thought a host might be waiting on the other side.

"Can I help?" Kaylee asked, sneaking up behind her.

"I'm not sure what you'd do," Zoë sighed, "I'm not sure what I'm suppose to do."

"Well, can I help you look things up, about the, what were they called?"  
  


"Dredges.  They're called Dredges, but that's not the scientific term.  Biggest problem I'm having is that no one knows the scientific term and without that I can't access anything past folk lore."

Kaylee could here the tension in Zoë's voice.  That in itself was unnerving, not to mention this whole infection business.

"Is he going to die?"

"Tell you what," Zoë said, avoiding the question, "why don't you go to his bunk.  I need the transmission code for that woman Lee.  She may know something.  Be careful Kaylee.  We don't know if he picked this up here or on planet.  If it was here, then the nest is somewhere nearby Wash's room, that would be the only explanation as to why he's the only one sick.  Just go in, get the code and get out.  Quickly."

Kaylee nodded and headed towards the room in a hurry.  In a way she didn't think she should leave the woman alone like this, but in another she was glad to be gone.  Zoë nervous made her nervous, and she hadn't answered her question.  It must be true was all she could figure.  Wash probably didn't have long.  

Zoë heard Wash stirring on the table and quickly went over to him.

"Did I pass out?" he asked still not fully awake.

"Yeah, I think you did," Zoë said, trying to make her voice light.  She didn't want to scare him.  She was scared enough as it was.  If only they knew more about that damn bug.

"So what, I've got the newest flu or something?" he asked again, his voice sounding skeptical.

"Something like that."

"Uh huh," he said, starting to sit up.

"You really shouldn't," Zoë said placing a hand on his shoulder and as gently as she could leaned him back to the table, "it'd be better if you lie still."

"Because of the flu," he came back with dryly.

She could hear it in his voice, he wasn't buying it, not that she blamed him.  She wouldn't have either.

"It's not the flu is it?"

"Hey, you're awake," Mal's voice echoed through the small room, "If you wanted another day off you could have just asked."

Zoë turned to him, but Wash didn't.  He just kept looking up at her.

"What's going on?  Why are you avoiding my questions," he said indicating Zoë, and then turning to Mal, "and why are you so chipper?  I know you Mal; you're not a chipper person."

"You didn't tell him."

"He just woke up."  
  


"I am right here."

"Zoë, how long does it take?"

"I was getting to it."  
  


"Hey, remember me.  The one you're discussing.  I'm not dead folks."

Mal and Zoë stopped cold but neither looked Wash's way.

"What… what the hell do I have?" he asked louder and more seriously.

"It's called Dredge's Disease," Zoë said quietly, turning to him.  Her face and eyes grew softer as she spoke, "It's caused by a parasite that emits a poison and eventually kills the host.  I've been checking around and we're trying to find a doc that's dealt with this before but we haven't had much luck."

"From what Zoë's read we've found it early enough to treat," Mal added stretching the truth a bit, "we're just not sure how to do that yet."

Silence filled the room.

"See," Wash said flatly, "that wasn't so hard."

****

Kaylee retrieved the code in no time and was heading back to the infirmary when she heard the three of them in there talking.  She didn't want to interrupt, but knew it was important to contact Lee and see if an outbreak _had occurred on Medea.  Since the only real-time interface on the ship was housed in Inara's cabin, that's where she headed._

Inara instantly agreed and keyed up the access code.  The connection wasn't great, but was viewable.

"This is the crew of Serenity," Inara said using her best diplomatic voice, "we're trying to reach Adrienne Lee."

A man in his late fifties answered the transmission.

"Hello Serenity.  This is Eden Station Three, what can we do for you?"

"We're trying to reach one of your engineers, Adrienne Lee.  Is she available?"

The man shook his head slowly.

"That's not possible ma'am.  Adrienne's laid up in our care unit.  Dreadful thing."

Inara and Kaylee exchanged looks.

"Do you mind if we ask why she's there?  A crew member of ours is sick too.  We're trying to find out where he picked it up, and if the two are related any information you had would help us greatly."

"Oh, that's not likely, not at all.  Adrienne's been infected by a parasite.  One she'd been working on in her genetics program.  Little bugger's are mean and deadly, but there aren't any outside of our lab.  No, your man is safe from that."

"That's not true.  Serenity is transporting material for her.  We were on Medea several days ago and he was in the lab with her."

"You're transporting cargo for her?  She never mentioned it.  You didn't open it, did you?"  
  


"No, of course not but I really don't see…"

"Don't," the man said sternly, "whatever you do, don't open that cargo.  Gorram woman, what's she done…"

The transmission was beginning to break.

"Sir… Sir…" Inara called a few times, "can you send us everything you have on the parasite, on her research."

"It won't do no good," he said, the transmission getting weaker and weaker.  "If he's got _that bug in him, he's as good as dead."_

The line broke.

****

Jayne sat up in the bridge monitoring the comm links like Mal had said.  

"Phsst," he let out as he sat in the pilot's chair and looked down at the counsel, "I could fly this thing.  Can't be that hard."

"Jayne," Mal's voice said startling the man a bit, "don't touch anything.  I said monitor not manipulate."

"I didn't touch anything, don't worry.  Not that I couldn't."

"What, you want to pilot now?"  
  


"No.  I just said I could."

"Too bad, pays more."

Jayne gave him a look as if seriously contemplating it.

"I'm not offering Jayne.  Serenity has a pilot."  
  


"Had," Jayne answered coldly, "'Cause I'll tell you now, if you two are right and it's Dredge's, you might be wanting to take me up on that piloting offer.  Probably won't have a choice"

"What do you know about it?" Mal asked seriously.  He knew Jayne had gotten around the 'verse.  Who knows, he might have some useful information to give.

"I know that it took out a colony of settlers on Chronos few years back.  I've seen it up close too, on Persephone.  A guy I knew ran the best bar in that sector, him and half the town caught it.  Not a one of them died the same death.  Couple of them even killed themselves.  Drove 'em strake raving mad and wasted 'em away."

"So you've never heard of anyone surviving?"

"Sure, Alliance folk.  But Alliance folk live through anything, they got the best docs around.  But someone this far out, naw.  Not going to happen."

Mal just nodded his head and took it in.  He believed Jayne was telling him the truth, had no reason to believe otherwise, but Jayne has his own version of the truth.  Like most men in his line of business, Jayne likes to exaggerate things, especially details.  A lot of times Jayne's version of the truth was far different then everyone else's.

"Mal," Inara interrupted his thoughts and called his attention to the door.  Kaylee and she were standing there and they didn't look happy.

"What's wrong?"

"We contacted Medea.  It's not good."

Mal looked at her for a minute, waiting for her to continue.  When she didn't he finally asked her what it was.  He liked the woman but sometimes she purposely did things, like forced pauses, strictly for dramatic effect.  He didn't think she did it on purpose.  Must be because of her line of work.  To build suspense and all.

"Lee's sick, real sick.  Same symptoms as Wash."

"So Medea had an outbreak?"

"No, that's just it.  She's the only one.  She does more then work on plant life; she was heading a genetics project on parasites."

"Dredges?" Mal asked unbelievingly, "Why would anyone do anything with them, except kill 'em."

"That I don't know."

"So what did they say we should do for him?  What's the treatment?"  
  


"Make him comfortable and wait it out."

****

"So are you back to ignoring me or is the fact that I'm dying making you self conscious and reserved?"  
  


Despite herself, Zoë had to smile.  Fortunately, she had her back turned so he couldn't tell.

"I'm trying to find a way to help you and it's hard to do with you staring at me."

"I can't help it."

"Try," she said, but her voice had no seriousness to it.

Zoë continued her research, but not for long.  She was glad to hear he was sounding more like himself, but he was continuously distracting her.  If she was ever going to find anything out at this point it would be by sheer luck.

"Should I make out a will?  Isn't that generally what one does in situations like this?"

"Wash," Zoë said relenting and leaving her chair to walk over beside him, "you're not going to die.  We'll find a way to help you, so no, you do not need to make a will.  Besides, I've seen your things.  No one wants them."

He tried to look as if that last comment had hurt, but relented.  

"That's true.  I haven't really acquired much."

"Well, you have a stunning collection of bad shirts," Zoë said smiling.  

She was surprised to find he had somehow gotten a hold of her hand.  She didn't mind.  It was nice.  Besides, she justified to herself, he needed someone right now and that was it.

"They're not bad," Wash replied, "they're unique.  That's why I buy them.  If I don't, no one will.  And then they'd just go to waste."

"Whatever you say," she laughed, "but I do need to get finished over there."

"Wait," he said as serious as she'd ever seen, holding tighter to her hand.

"Are you in pain?" Zoë said with concern.

"No.  I just… if you go back over there and keep reading then I have to stay here and think about this.  And I can't think about this anymore, not right now.  I just… I just want you to stay here and I want to hear you laugh and… one of those symptoms wouldn't happen to be rambling incoherent thoughts, would it?  I'm not making any sense."

"No," she said as she smiled and touched his face with her free hand, "you're making perfect sense."


	4. Cornered

**Infectious by SLynn**

**_Notes:  _**I don't recall Wash's past ever being mentioned with any real clarity, so I'm using my artistic license quite freely.  I always kind of found that interesting during the course of the show that really the least was known about his and Book's pasts.  We basically were told he's a pilot and a good one.  If I'm wrong, please let me know, but it can't be helped for this story.  Don't worry, it's nothing too drastic, I promise.  

**Chapter 4:  Cornered**

Kaylee knew she was interrupting something, but she couldn't help it.  Mal had sent her down to swap places with Zoë.  In short, the grown-ups needed to talk.  She'd been mildly offended at first, but then it made sense.  Kaylee already knew what was happening, Zoë didn't.  And in Mal's eyes, Kaylee and Wash were closer then Zoë and Wash.  He wanted Wash distracted while they discussed their options.

'Well, he's certainly distracted,' Kaylee thought with a smile as she spied Zoë sitting close to him.  They were holding hands and looked to be in deep conversation.  'Doubt I could do a better job then that.'

"Uh um," she said, purposely hanging back and looking off to the side.

Zoë stood up, but she hadn't moved deliberately, it hadn't been like she'd been caught doing anything wrong.  She just casually stood up and faced her.  That was her way.  Zoë never did anything she didn't mean to.  She wasn't embarrassed by Kaylee's entrance or by her seeing them like that.

"Came to see how you're doing," Kaylee smiled as walked over to Wash, "_Obviously you're fine."_

Wash laughed a little, a nervous laugh.  _He was embarrassed._

"I've been better," he managed, the blush slowly leaking from his face.

"Here," Zoë said to Kaylee, "help me lean the table up, at least part way.  It'll be easier for him to talk."

The two of them did just that and it had helped.

"This is much better then looking at the ceiling.  Thanks."

"So, you're going to have to get out of here soon."

"I don't see that happening," he said flatly.

"Really?  Jayne's talking about flying Serenity."  
  


"What?" Wash said in disbelief.  The animation had returned to his features.  "No way he's touching her.  It'll take weeks to fix whatever he'd manage to break."

"I don't know," she said teasingly, "he sounded like he knew what he was doing.  He even correctly identified the port side."

"Oh man.  Well, I don't have to worry about this killing me.  Jayne's gonna drive us into a sun."

"I'm kidding," Kaylee laughed, "Cap'n put him in the hold if he even looked like he was going to touch anything up there."

After a pause.

"Oh, hey Zoë," Kaylee called to her, "Cap'n asked me to have you head up to the bridge.  He needed to talk about buying those new reactors."

"Now?" she asked.  They had more important things to do right now.

"Yeah," Kaylee said giving her a significant look, "now.  He was using that tone too."

Zoë understood.  It was Kaylee's turn to watch Wash.  He must have found out something.  Looking him over, he didn't seem to have caught on.  Not yet at least.  Hopefully it was good news, Wash was looking worse by the minute.  The fever was returning too.

"Okay then," Zoë said filling a syringe and returning to the two of them, "just need to give you this before I go."

"Not exactly what I'd want as a parting gift…"

"Well, I am sorry," Zoë said with a small smile on her face, "but it'll have to do."

She administered the dose and turned to go.

"Check his temperature in about ten minutes.  If it's above 101 call me."

"Will do," Kaylee said.

They both watched as she left without another word.

"He's really not trying to fly her is he?" Wash asked his voice sounding concerned.

Kaylee just laughed.

****

Mal quickly filled Zoë in on the new information.  It was interesting, but it wasn't helpful.  In fact, it sounded hopeless.

"Maybe we should return to Medea," Inara said, "If there is anything to be done for him, they'll be able to do it there."

"Zoë, what do you think?" Mal asked.

"I don't know," she said tersely, "he's awake, he's lucid, but he's not really responding to the medicine I've given him.  Medea is at least two days away, I'm not sure he'll make it."

"What are our options then?" he asked again.

"We know the only real cure is to get that thing out of him, and even that isn't guaranteed."

"Ha," Jayne interrupted loudly, "that's not a cure.  Most folks get that done aren't right again.  Heck, where'd you say this thing dug in, his back.  You're likely to hit is spinal cord.  Then what?"

"I hate to say it, but he has a point," Zoë said after a pause, "I'm not a surgeon, I'm not even a doctor.  Sir, if this thing is in deep enough…"

"Well, dead or paralyzed, which is worse?"  
  


Zoë nodded her agreement.

"So we set a course back to Medea.  In the mean time you keep tending to Wash and if it gets bad enough, we'll take it from there.  Pulling that bug out will be our last resort."

No one had anything to add.

"Alright, let's get going."

"Now that's what I wanted to hear," Jayne said plopping down in front of the controls, "how do I turn this thing around."

"Jayne," Mal said stepping up behind him, "do we have to go over this again."

"Zoë, wait a minute," Inara said, gently pulling her aside as soon as they two of them had exited the bridge.

"Can this wait?  I really should get back down there."

"I just wanted to see how _you were doing."_

"Why?" Zoë asked unaffected.

Inara didn't know how to respond to that.  It was the one answer she hadn't been prepared to hear.  She had been certain that over the last few weeks something had been developing between Zoë and Wash.  Now, watching the woman before her so calm and collected made her rethink her ideas.

"I just thought… I know you're close to him and this must be difficult."

Zoë nodded her head slowly, the look in her eyes changed subtly reaffirming everything Inara had initially suspected.

"I'm fine.  Really.  I just need to keep doing something.  I don't have time to think about it right now."

"Well when that time comes and you need someone to talk too, I'm always here."

"Thank you," Zoë said and meant it.

As Inara turned to go, Zoë called her back.

"It's not what you think it is, between us.  We're just friends."

"It doesn't matter what I think," Inara said, somewhat amused.

"I just don't want you or anyone else getting the wrong idea," Zoë paused.  "The truth is, I don't know what it is yet and I don't want people jumping to conclusions."

"I won't say anything."

"Good."

  
"Zoë. Cap'n.  I need you down here." Kaylee's voice echoed through the ship.

Inara and Zoë exchanged quick glances and headed towards the infirmary.

****

Somehow Mal had beaten them both there, but only by seconds.  Zoë entered immediately, while Inara hung back at the door.

"What happened?" Mal asked perfectly calm.

"I was going to get the thermometer," Kaylee began, still visibly upset, "and I had my back turned for maybe half a minute.  I turned back and he was just out cold.  I couldn't wake him and then he was just shaking all over."

Zoë had already begun checking him over.  His blood pressure was low, to low.  His eyes were dilated and his skin was clammy.

"Looks like shock," she said taking a step back from him.  She turned to Kaylee, "What was he like just before?  How was he responding, moving, anything?"

"He seemed off," Kaylee said, rubbing her head as if willing herself to remember, "He wasn't really moving much, but he was still talking.  But he kept talking about a box.  And Demeter.  He mentioned Demeter two or three times."

"Demeter," Inara said her voice registering some surprise, "that's an interior planet.  Almost at the heart of the Alliance, isn't it?"  
  


"Yeah, it is," Mal affirmed, "Can't see why he'd be…"

"He was born there," Zoë supplied before he could finish, "still has some family left, his mother I think, but he hasn't been back in years.  Didn't plan on ever going back."  

"He's delirious," she continued after a pause, somehow feeling the need to add that.

Mal just stared at her for a moment or two not sure what to think, to which she responded with perfect indifference.

"I didn't know what that meant.  I'm sorry, I should have called earlier," Kaylee said quietly.

"Don't worry about it," Mal said reassuringly, "you did everything fine."

Kaylee looked a little better for hearing that, but not much.

"Help me roll him," Zoë said to Mal.

Together they moved Wash to his side.  Zoë wanted another look at that point of entry.  The poison web like marks that had once only been smaller then her palm had spread rapidly, practically tripled.  Black lines were now shooting up nearly to his shoulder blades.  Additionally the lines were wrapping around to his stomach and reaching down towards his legs.  It had been nearly three hours since they first discovered them and it was spreading fast.

"Damn it," she muttered under her breath.

"It's your call," Mal said looking her square in the eyes.

"We don't have a choice.  If it keeps moving this fast he'll be dead in five or six hours.  We have to operate."

"Okay then," Mal said, returning Wash to his original position, "What do you need from us?"

"A volunteer to take over," she said flatly.

****

Inara and Kaylee went to reestablish communications with Eden Station Three on Medea to try and gain as much information as they could.  They quickly went over things with the lead of Eden's infirmary, a Dr. Kellerman, and Kaylee patched the feed to the infirmary so he and Zoë could talk one on one.  Their hope was that Dr. Kellerman could lead her through it.  A similar procedure had already been done on Lee and they were glad to hear that she had responded well.  

"You must be Zoë," the young doctor said as soon as the transmission began anew, "I'm told you're _not_ a doctor.  Are you the most qualified person aboard?  How much experience do you have?"

"Yes I am and I did some field medicine during the war," she answered, choosing to ignore the condescending tone the man had taken with her.

"Listen," Mal said unwilling and unable to ignore it.  Anyone who took attitude with his crew was also taking attitude with him.  "We don't have time for a question and answer session.  Zoë's probably saved more lives then you have and in much worse conditions then this, so save it for another time.  Right now we need your help.  Her credentials don't matter.  Just talk her and me through this.  A man is dying on the table behind us."

Obviously Dr. Kellerman had never been talked to like that in his life.  He stuttered and stumbled for a minute before finally regaining his composure. 

"Alright then," he said with a more courteous tone, "have you sedated the patient yet?  He'll need to be completely under before you begin."

"We only have locals on board.  We don't have anything strong enough to keep him under," Zoë answered.

The man immediately began to shake his head.

"No, that won't do.  You can't give him a local.  It'll just desensitize the wound but will do nothing for the areas already infected by the poison."

"I'm not sure I understand the difference.  The poison is coming from the wound."

"No you're right, it is.  But this particular parasite is very astute.  Once it senses the intrusion, any intrusion, it will begin to shoot out shock waves of sorts to the surrounding nerves that it has reached through the poison it's spread.  I was told it's already up his back, is that right?"

Zoë nodded, beginning to understand.

"The locals will just agitate the situation and in certain cases has been known to intensify the shock wave effect.  It's been tried before.  We're not sure why, no one is, but it does more harm then good.  I'm afraid you won't be able to use anything."

"So he's going to feel all of this?" Mal asked.

The doctor nodded his head slowly.

"You said he's already out, he may stay that way.  As a precaution I would definitely recommend the use of restraints and have one or two people standing by just in case.  He needs to be completely immobile during the operation."

"I'll get Jayne," Kaylee said quietly from the back of the room.

"One more thing, before we begin," Dr. Kellerman said over the link, "you are positive he contracted this at the lab here on Medea?"

"No where else he could have," Mal answered.

For a minute or two there was no communication.  The doctor appeared to be talking quietly to someone just off screen.

"The cargo, you haven't opened it?"  
  


"No," Mal said suspiciously, "why would we and why'd you want to know?"  
  


"Just… just keep it sealed whatever you do.  Keep it sealed tight."

Mal tapped Zoë lightly on the shoulder and they both turned from the screen.

"What the hell are we carrying?" he whispered.

****


	5. Questions without Answers

**Infectious by SLynn**

**Notes:  **Yeah it has been a long time since I updated this.  I've been working out plot points, nit-picking details, having a baby, you know… the usual.  Anyway I hope to be writing more often now.  As always thank you for the reviews and enjoy the show.

**Chapter 5:  Questions without Answers**

It wasn't a sensation of waking really; it was more like the feeling you get when you transition from one dream to the next.  You have no control, it never makes sense, and you're basically there for the ride.  Surreal was the word.  But Wash was awake, fully awake for the first time in hours.  

He could feel hands pressing his shoulders to the table.  It was cold.  He was cold. 

He could barely breathe and the pain was unbearable.  He had trouble pulling in even short breaths through his mouth and it felt as if needles were piercing his skin everywhere.

His head was pressed flat to one side, but it didn't matter.  His vision was cloudy and he couldn't really make anything out.  If he had to guess, he was facing the wall.

He could hear screaming.  It took a second but then he realized.  It was him.  He was the one screaming.  It was a hoarse noise, almost like a moan.  He didn't remember when he'd started and was fairly certain he couldn't stop.

The hands on him pushed harder, holding him in place as he started to struggle.  Now he couldn't breathe at all.  He was choking.  This had to be what death was like.

"Jayne!" he heard from somewhere behind him.  He knew that voice.  He knew that name.  Mal.  Mal was saying something to Jayne.  Jayne must be the one holding him down.  "Ease up.  We're not trying to strangle him.  He just needs to be immobile."  

He heard the man let out a huff of air just above him, but the pressure lessen after that.  He was breathing normal again, well relatively normal.

With much effort, Wash had managed to stop himself from yelling or at least yelling at the top of his lungs, but still couldn't figure out what the hell was going on.  His throat was dry and sore.  He noticed now that, aside from Jayne holding down his shoulders, something was wrapped around his legs and chest keeping them from moving as well as he lay flat on his stomach.

He tried to ask a few times, 'What's happening?' but never got it out quite right.  It sounded heavy and garbled to his own ears.  He doubted anyone else in the room even heard.  Mal was talking to someone whose voice he didn't recognize.  Another man who sounded far away and tinny.

Then he felt a hand touch his back just below where the shoulder blades meet.

"It's going to be alright," he heard Zoë say.  Her voice was soft and at the time seemed to be the only sound in the room.

And he knew without questioning it.  

It would be alright if she said so.

With that he let himself relax as much as he could and drift back into darkness.

****

It had taken just over two hours to complete, but it was done.

"It's a biggun' that's for sure," Jayne said, holding the jar containing extracted parasite up to the light in it's new home of formaldehyde.

"Is that normal?" Kaylee asked, somewhat surprised at the sheer size of it.

"No," Zoë said flatly, walking away from the two.

They had ended the feed with Dr. Kellerman just moments ago and had redirected Serenity back to Medea.  While assuring them that the operation was likely to be a success, he also stressed that there were other drugs and antibodies that should be given to Wash that were only available on Eden Station.  With Kaylee tweaking the engines a bit to obtain maximum velocity, they should arrive in 36 hours.  It was going to seem like an eternity.

"Let's talk," Mal said quietly from behind Zoë and then walked out to the storage bay.

She had a good idea what this would be about, but said nothing.  Following him to the box she knew he'd end up at, she waited for him to begin.  

"Wash said these were soil samples," he said, not turning to face her but leaning forward on their new cargo, "did you see them?"

"No."

"But he did watch them get packed?"

"He said he did."

Mal shook his head and began to pace.  Zoë waited and watched him.  

"He said noting about this Lee woman working with these bugs."

It was more of a statement then a question, but Zoë answered regardless.

"No."

Mal turned around and faced her.

"And what do you think the odds are that this here package is loaded down with them?"

"Good," she said nodding here head slightly, "real good."

Mal bent down to examine the locking device on the crate.  He knew Zoë was telling him the truth.  Never doubted that.  Zoë was truth personified.  Silently he debated what to do next.  He just needed to ask one more question.  He stood back up and looked her square in the eyes.

"Do you think Wash knew what's really in here?"

Zoë paused.  It was a question she'd been asking over and over in her head for most of the night.

"I don't know."

****

Kaylee was the only one left.  She'd been given the unofficial task of watching over Wash as they headed back towards Medea.  They were making good time, better then they had first hoped for with her help.  She'd managed to squeeze more power out of a few extra fuel cells.

"How is he?" Inara asked quietly entering the bay.

"Good, I guess," said Kaylee, "he made it through at least."

"Has he woken up?"  
  
Kaylee smiled kind of nervously and shook her head.

"Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing."  
  


"No, guess it isn't."

Inara stood next to Kaylee, Wash lying quietly beside them.  Dr. Kellerman had given them instructions for monitoring him and let them know which drugs he could take if necessary.  He had been adamant as ever that they return quickly.

Inara looked down at his face.  He didn't appear to be in any pain, which was good.  She probably knew Wash the least, talked with him the least out of anyone else, but she liked him.  He'd been the only one on board who never brought up or even questioned her about being a companion.  Knowing now he where he was from, she was no longer surprised.  The others weren't as accustomed to the roles of companions but people from the interior planets were.  Maybe that was why he had never made her feel self conscious about it the way the other men could at times.

"It's not fair," Kaylee said softly.

Inara shook herself from her thoughts and turned to her.

"He's a good person.  He shouldn't die like this."

"We don't know that he will Kaylee.  He has a good chance now."

Kaylee nodded but didn't look convinced.

"I was so home sick my first month on board.  I didn't want Mal to know, didn't want anyone to know.  Thought Mal would turn the ship around and send me back."

Inara nodded her understanding, realizing that all the girl needed was to be talking about something.

"I loved the job.  Serenity is the best thing that ever happened to me, but I missed my family a lot more then I thought I would.  Sometimes I use to sit in the back of the engine room and just cry."

She paused regaining her composure.

"Anyway, Wash came back to there one day and found me out.  At first I thought he was just going to turn back around and leave.  Tell Mal or something, I'm not sure what.  But he didn't.  He just sat down next to me and waited for me to finish.  When I had he started talking about when he'd first left home.  Said he'd been in such a hurry to get away that he never thought he'd miss the place, but he had.  Missed it terrible for quite some time.  I asked him if he ever stopped missing it and he kind of got this sad look on his face, real distant like and he just shook his head.  Then he told me that it gets easier with time.  That sometimes he goes weeks without thinking about home, even months, but that you'll never entirely stop missing it because where you grew up is a part of you."

Kaylee paused again.

 "Said I should give it a year.  If after a year if I'm still crying I should go back because it's where I'm suppose to be, but that the hard part was already over.  Leaving was the hard part, all of this was just the aftermath.  I never asked him why he left home.  I'd like to know that, seems important.  Can't imagine why anyone would ever leave Demeter."

"People leave for a lot of reasons Kaylee," Inara said quietly.

****

Hours had passed and there was still no sign of Wash waking.  Dr. Kellerman was now communicating with them hourly.  Seems that Adrienne had had a bit of a relapse and he was practically harping Zoë for stats.  What was his blood pressure?  What was his heart rate?  His white blood cell count.  His red blood cell count.  On and on.  Each time he came back on the transmitter he had a new set of requests.  It was annoying to say the least but it gave Zoë an excuse to be in the sick bay.  Now she could honestly say it was to keep Kellerman off their backs and give him the information he seemed to need on an almost continuous basis.  But she had another reason as well.  

She wanted to be there when Wash woke up.  Mal was fuming.  He was racing around the ship at an almost maniacal pace.  She knew he wanted answers, ones it seems only Wash could give at this point, and Mal was not a patient man.  He would breathing down his throat almost the minute Wash woke and she wanted to be there to defuse the situation.

Zoë didn't believe Wash had set them up.  Couldn't believe he'd be working for the Alliance.  She thought she knew him better then that, but quickly reminded herself that she really hadn't known him long.

"Zoë?"

She looked up and he was awake.  A wave of relief rushed through her as if a weight she hadn't realized she'd been carrying was suddenly lifted.

"It's about time you woke up.  We were starting to worry."

"How longs it been?" he asked, his voice scratchy and hoarse.

"Close to ten hours now.  We'll be back at Medea in another twelve or so.  Kaylee's really driving the engines hard."

"She should watch the third cell, it's been running hot."

"How do you feel?"

"Tired mostly," Wash said shrugging a bit, "but better.  Lots better."

"Good.  We had to remove the bug.  You went into shock and we didn't have a choice."

"That's probably why I'm so sore," he said as he tried to sit up.

"Let me help," Zoë said unable to watch him struggle.  She tilted the bed back into an upright position.  "Are you in a lot of pain?"  
  


"Not really," he answered with a tight-lipped expression.

Zoë starred hard.

"Some," he relented, "but not like before.  It's mostly my back.  I'm fine."

"Your up."

They both started at the voice coming from the door.  Mal.

"Yeah, surprise," Wash said. "Guess if Jayne's cooking can't kill me nothing can."

Zoë's eyes fixed on Mal.  Mal, his jaw set, stared at Wash.  Wash, confused, looked back and forth between the two.

"I'm guessing I missed something."

"Damn right."

"Mal," Zoë interrupted, "now isn't the time."

Ignoring her Mal continued.

"What's in those crates?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The crates from Eden Station, what's in them?"

"Mal," Zoë said, this time a bit harsher, "Kellerman said to give him time.  That he wasn't going to wake up clear of the affects."

"It's an easy question," Mal said never turning his gaze away from Wash.

"They were soil samples," Wash began not understanding what was happening, "Three racks of soil samples, two racks of plants.  Going to Jubilee, to a colony there just getting set up."

"You saw them being packed?  Know for a fact that is what's in there?"

"Yes," Wash said his voice displaying his growing irritation.

"You saw them?" Mal asked again furious.

"I said I did," Wash returned nearly equaling Mal's tone.

"Then how did these get in there?" Mal asked as he handed a jar.

Wash took it and starred.  He recognized the jar, knew it from Eden Station.  He'd seen rows of them packed into five separate racks.  Mal must have opened the package to get it.

"Well?" Mal asked again, his tone coming down a notch.

Zoë and Mal both looked at him expectantly, but as he starred at the jar filled with hundreds of parasites, he had nothing to say.


	6. Cheap Fruit

**Infectious by SLynn**

**Notes:  **Okay, I could probably fill eight or nine pages with excuses on why this chapter took so long, but why bore you.  Truth is, it was hard to write, and I imagine the next few will be too, but I am still working on it!  Thanks again for all of the great reviews.  If you keep writing, I'll keep writing!****

**Chapter 6:  Cheap Fruit**

"I don't know where these came from," Wash said practically pushing the jar back into Zoë's hands.

"That's it?  That's all you have to say?" Mal asked stepping closer and leaning down into his face.

"What do you want me to say Mal?  I don't know, really.  All I know is the crate I saw wasn't filled with that."

"How am I suppose to believe that?  How am I suppose to believe anything you say anymore?"

"Why would I make this up?  Mal, what could I possibly have to gain from this?"

Mal stepped back but just kept staring at him.  Wash turned silently to Zoë for support.  With one look he could tell he wasn't going to get any.

"All I can ask is that you trust me Mal.  I've never lied to you before.  I have no reason too."

Mal took a few steps towards him again, his eyes gone cold.

"Then why didn't you tell me you were from Demeter?"

Wash hadn't expected that, but he didn't let him faze him.

"To be fair Mal, you never asked."

Mal stopped, started to speak, stopped again, gave up and left the room altogether to angry to continue.

The quiet left by Mal's exit was deafening.  Neither nor Wash spoke or moved.

"You told him," Wash said flatly looking mostly at his hands.  
  
"Not exactly."  
  


Silence again.

"You talk in your sleep," Zoë supplied, crossing the room and busying herself by re-shelving items.  She couldn't look at him, not yet anyway.

"What'd I say?"  
  
"Not sure, Kaylee heard you.  Something about Demeter and a box.  You had a high fever."

"So, from that he figured out I grew up there. Me saying Demeter and box," Wash continued a slight chuckle in his voice.

"No.  That's when I told him.  If I hadn't he'd of thought worse things then you just living there."

"Worse like what?" Wash said, his voice getting louder with each syllable, "What, does he think I'm some sort of spy?"  
  


"Listen," Zoë said growing angrier by the second, "if you would have told him yourself when you first came aboard this ship you wouldn't be having this problem now."

"If I'd have told him then I wouldn't be on this ship now," Wash nearly yelled.

Zoë couldn't argue that.  It was true and she knew it.

"Now," Wash said as he slowly got to his feet, "if you'll excuse me.  I'm going to my bunk."

Obviously in pain Wash made his way across to the door.  

"You shouldn't be doing this," Zoë said irritated by his stubbornness, "your only going to aggravate the wound and hurt yourself more."

"There are a lot of things I shouldn't be doing," he said without ever turning round to face her.  With that he was gone.

As Wash rounded the corner he felt a sudden spasm in his back.  The pain nearly brought him to his knees but he refused to cry out.  He knew if he did there was a good chance the only person close enough to hear would be Zoë and right now he didn't want her help.

"Wash?" he heard from above.

Until that moment as he found himself looking up at Kaylee, he hadn't realized he was nearly crouched on the floor.

"Oh God, what are you doing?  You shouldn't be out of bed."

"Felt like a stroll," he choked out.

"Let me get help," she said, concern etched on her face.

"No," Wash shouted grabbing her by the arm.

"No," he said again quieter having gotten her full attention back to him, "I'm fine.  Really."  
  
The look on her face voiced her opinion.

"I just want to be back in my own room, okay?"

"Alright," she reluctantly agreed.

"Thank you," he said pulling himself up using the wall.

"But I'm going with you," Kaylee added, "you don't look like your going to make it three feet let alone all the way to your bunk."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Wash said managing a rough smile.  The pain was killing him.

"I'm not joking," Kaylee continued, putting her arm around him for support as they slowly walked the hall, "Wash you look bad.  Does Zoë know you're out here?"

Wash continued concentrating on putting one foot out in front of the other, ignoring the looks the mechanic was now giving him.

"Wash?  It's your back that's hurt, not your ears.  I know you heard me.  Does she?"  
  
"Yes, she knows."

"And?"  
  
"And what?" Wash said sharply stopping.  His brow was covered with sweat and his back felt like it was tied in knots.  He didn't need this now.

"Nothing," Kaylee said unable to hide the hurt in her voice.  It wasn't like Wash to snap at her, no matter what the situation.

"I'm sorry Kaylee, really I am," he said place a hand on her shoulder, "This has been about the worst day of my life.  Okay, take that back.  Not the worst, but it's definitely in the top ten.  I just want to get to my room and be alone."

She nodded her head and smiled before continuing helping him make his way.  It took a lot longer then normal with Wash having to stop several more times to rest.  The entire time they remained silent.

Having finally got there Wash plopped down on his bed with a sigh.

"Thank you Kaylee."

"Your welcome," she said as she turned to go.

"One more thing."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  


"What did I say to you, when I was out of it before and talking in my sleep?"  
  
"You mean about Demeter?"  
  
He nodded.

"It didn't make a lot of sense," Kaylee answered sitting on a stool near the door, "and mostly you were mumbling so I couldn't make out a lot of the words.  But you did keep saying 'fair and golden Demeter' and 'through storms and waves' and something about triumphing.  Does that mean anything?"

Wash smiled a bit, "Yeah it does.  It's an anthem."

Kaylee just stared at him not sure what he meant.

"It's like a pledge or oath, but it's sung.  We had to sing it every day before and after school.  I haven't thought about that in a long time.  Never wanted to hear that again, was I singing it?"

"No," Kaylee laughed, "I might have really panicked if I'd heard you sing."

"Yeah, it is a treat," Wash laughed with her, "What about the box?"

"Oh that," Kaylee said with more ease then before, "You said to 'give her the box' over and over again.  Of course you didn't say who 'her' was or where I'd find this box, but you were really persistent about it.  Make any sense to you?"

It dawned on him all at once what he must have been talking about.

"A little," he said quietly.

"Can I ask you…"  
  


"What's in the box?" he smiled.

"Wrong."

  
"Why I left?"  
  


"No.  What's Demeter like?"

Wash got quiet again and his face grew solemn.

"Cheap fruit."  
  
Kaylee wrinkled her nose at him.

"Nice to look at but rotten to the core."


	7. Half the Story

**Infectious by SLynn**

**Chapter 7:  Half the Story**

"Mal, I'm only saying that you **might** be overreacting a bit," Inara said refusing to back down.

"No, I'm not.  And there's no point arguing this, it's over.  We stop at Medea and he gets off.  Period.  End of story.  End of problem."  
  


Mal, Inara and Jayne had been up in the bridge for the better part of an hour going over the 'problem'.  Mal was being hardheaded and refusing to even hear any of Inara's points.  Jayne, enjoying the show, was silent on the subject.  He honestly didn't care one way or another what they did with Wash.  Jayne was just waiting for the word from Mal on what should be done.  After all, Mal paid the bills around here.

Inara continued to give Mal the look she seemingly reserved just for him.

"What difference does it make where he's from?  He's been on the ship now for nearly a year.  He's saved us all how many times?"  
  
"It the principle of the matter Inara.  He should have told me.  Should have been honest from the start."

Zoë entered the bridge with Kaylee quietly slipping in behind her.  Mal looked over to her for an update on the current situation.

"Dr. Kellerman is expecting us within the hour.  I've resealed the crate, they shouldn't know we opened it."

Mal nodded his approval and then asked where Wash was.

"In his bunk," Kaylee interrupted, "said he needed to be alone.  He doesn't look good."

"Doesn't matter, he's not staying," Mal began again, "Jayne…"

Jayne perked up at the mention of his name, but Inara quickly intervened.

"You're just going to throw him off the ship?  Just dump him at Medea?"  
  
"Pretty much."

Suddenly it dawned on her.  Not even Mal was this rash; Mal wasn't stupid, he knew exactly what he was doing and why.  This wasn't so much about honesty as it was about other things.

"So, for this one think, just this one thing, you're going to kick him off the ship?" she asked steeling a glance at Zoë.

He knew what she was alluding to, but this was not the place for that argument.  He wasn't getting into **that.  Hell, he wasn't even sure there was a **that** to get into.  However, wanting it or not, Mal now had an audience.  Everyone looked at him expectantly, even Jayne.  **

 "Having never done anything suspicious before," Inara continued.

"That's not the point."  
  


"Then what is?" Kaylee asked.

"The point is that he lied.  I don't like being lied to and I don't like having to explain myself."  
  
Everyone continued to stare at him.

"For all we know he works for the Alliance."  
  
Kaylee and Inara both laughed.  The thought was absurd.  Jayne even rolled his eyes.  The only one who remained unchanged was Zoë.

"Zoë," Mal turned to her, "help me out here."

Now it was her turn to have an audience.

"I think you should talk to him."

Mal had expected it but was not really ready for it.  For weeks he'd known something had been going on between the two of them.  Maybe it was nothing serious, maybe it hadn't even begun yet, but there was something there, and Zoë just confirmed it.  She didn't want Wash to leave.  Part of him knew now that Inara was right, he had just wanted him gone and it didn't matter why.  He just hadn't realized it.

"Fine," Mal said meeting her eyes, "I'll talk with him."

Zoë nodded and left the room with Inara and Kaylee soon following.

"Jayne," Mal said before the man could also leave.

"Yep."

"Keep an eye on him once we land on Medea.  If he does do anything suspicious you know what to do."

"Yep."

****

  
Mal reluctantly found his way to Wash's room.  His first thought on seeing him was that Kaylee had been right, he didn't look good.  He was paler then before and sweating profusely.  

"We need to talk," Mal said flatly.

"I've already packed," Wash said waving him off and taking a seat on his bunk, "don't bother with the speeches okay."

"What?"  
  
"Come on, we both know why you're here.  I'm not stupid.  I'll be done by the time we land."

"That's not why I'm here."

"Then why?  What do you want?" Wash said wiping his brow.  

"Come to hear your side of the story."  
  
 "Zoë didn't tell you herself?" he said letting out a snort, his voice containing a hard edge, "Or what, you want to hear me tell it, make sure I'm telling you the same lies I told her?" 

Mal shook his head.  He knew this wasn't going to be easy.

"Why don't you just tell me so we can get this over with."

  
"Fine" Wash said sighing heavily.  He was more tired then he wanted to admit and it was taking most of his energy to just focus on staying upright.  "You want to know why I didn't mention Demeter before?"  
  
Mal just nodded, refusing to move from his spot near the exit.

"Okay.  I didn't mention it because I knew you wouldn't hire me if I had.  I've worked for independents before Mal, and they all had one thing in common.  Not a one of them would hire a man they thought came from anywhere near the interior planets.  Didn't trust them.  Wouldn't trust them.  Wouldn't even give 'em a chance.  You going to tell me your different?"  
  


Mal didn't argue the point, he knew it was true.

"You know, there are reasons people leave those places and it's not just because of over crowding."

"Then tell me why **you left?"  
  
"Why'd I leave?" Wash said his eyes glazing over slightly.  For a moment, Mal thought he might pass out but he didn't.  "I left because of my father."**

For a few moments Mal just stared at him, expecting more.

  
"So you left Demeter because what, you and your father didn't get along?  Coming out here, shuttling brown coats your way of getting even with daddy.  Is that what your trying to tell me?"

"My father…" Wash started getting to his feet surprisingly quick considering his condition, his eyes fixed on Mal and at the moment full of hate, "My father was a good man.  If I'm lucky, I'll be half as good."

"My mistake."

For a few minutes more they stood in silence.  Wash suddenly leaned into the wall, hard, convincing Mal he would actually topple over.  But he didn't and managed to stagger back to his bunk and sit again.  For half a moment Mal thought about getting Zoë down here to look at him again, but held back.  He wanted to hear him out.

"They put him in prison.  He was found guilty of 'plotting rebellion'.  I was probably thirteen or fourteen at the time."

Wash stopped and looked over to Mal who had finally sat down.

"You know what 'plotting rebellion' amounts to on Demeter?" Wash asked with seriousness, his voice no longer sounded hard.

"Have an idea."

"Yeah, I guess you would," Wash nodded in agreement.

"So what was it?"  
  


"You heard of orphan mills?"

Mal shook his head.

"It's mostly an interior thing.  You see, on the really crowded planets couples can only have one child, and then only once the get a license.  Can take years if you don't know the right people or have the money.  The big problem is, it doesn't really stop people from having kids, can't really stop that.  It just stops them from keeping them.  So what are you going to do with all the stray kids running around?  Orphan mills.  Put them to work.  Make them earn their keep.  Free labor for the Alliance."

Wash paused and rubbed his head.  It was really pounding now, but he felt compelled to continue.

"My father had grown up in one.  Never talked about it really.  That's probably why he adopted me from one.  By the time my parents got their license they were to old to have children of their own.  My mother was indifferent but my father always wanted kids of his own.  Anyways, there was a fire in one of the local mills.  They never had a chance really.  Most of the doors were locked from the outside.  Bodies everywhere, something like a two hundred and twenty total.  Burnt like you wouldn't want to imagine."  
  
He paused again.  It really had been a long time since he'd thought about any of this and with good reason.

"All he did was say, 'some one should have done something,' to the wrong person.  That was it," Wash said growing angry, "That was it.  Didn't protest.  Didn't riot.  It was just a thought really.  And because of that he was sent to the mines for ten years.  More free labor for the Alliance.  I never saw him again."

Mal didn't know what to say.

"I stayed on Demeter until he died.  He'd served seven years at the time.  I was twenty-one and old enough to leave without a permit of travel, so I did.  Didn't look back."

"So that's it then."  
  
"Nearly."  
  
Mal gave him a hard look.

"I might as well tell you everything right?  This will really tan your hide, but since your kicking me off regardless, it doesn't matter.  You should do us both a favor and kick me off now.  Why waste time landing.  Maybe it's just the fever talking, but I just don't care anymore."  
  


Now Mal knew he'd need Zoë.  Quick.  Wash sounded off, even by his standards.

"You know where the ministry placed me?" Wash asked slurring most of the words.

Mal made his way to the intercom only partly paying attention to him.

"Zoë.  Need you at Wash's."

Wash either didn't notice or chose to ignore Mal's request for help.

"They made me a cadet."

Mal turned sharply but it was too late to question him.  Wash had passed out.

Mal shook his head and paced the room ten times angrier then before.

"I knew it," he muttered.


	8. The Welcome Wagon

**Infectious by SLynn**

**Notes:  **Thank you again and again for the reviews.  It really pushes me to write more and I appreciate it! 

**Chapter 8:  The Welcome Wagon**

 "What happened?"  Zoë asked a somewhat bewildered Mal.

"He passed out."

Zoë made her way over to the pilot and pressed her hand to his head.

"Fever's back."  
  
"I figured," Mal said still fuming.

"What **else happened?"**

Mal said nothing and continued pacing.  Zoë chose to ignore it for the time being and shifted her focus back to Wash.

"We can't move him out of here.  I don't know how Kaylee and him managed it in the first place."

No response.

"We're getting close to atmo; you're going to need to be at the helm."  
  
Mal nodded but he wasn't really hearing her.

"Captain," Zoë said sharply effectively stopping his movement, "what happened here?"

"I'm not sure you want to know."

Zoë said nothing but looked concerned.

"Then again," Mal tacked on, "you may already know."

Zoë was about to protest when they were interrupted.

"You want me to land this thing or what?" Jayne's voice boomed over the comm.

Mal and Zoë exchanged looks.  Each acknowledged silently that this conversation wasn't over.

"No," Mal replied back into the intercom, "I'm on my way."

Within seconds he was gone.  Zoë didn't have time to think on it, she had to tend to Wash.  

It didn't make sense.  They'd gotten that damn dredge out already.  The only thing she could think of was that maybe the site had gotten infected.  That could cause a high fever, but she wasn't positive.  Laying Wash back on his bed, Mal hadn't even bothered to move him, as gently as possible she moved him onto his side so she could check his back.

"Zoë," the comm came alive again, this time with Mal's voice, "I'm sending Kaylee down with supplies.  Prepare for landing."

Zoë didn't hear it.

A slight gasp from behind finally got Zoë's attention.

"How?" was all Kaylee managed to get out.

"I don't know," Zoë finally said shaking her head.

The black web had returned.

 "Stay here," she said to Kaylee as she shot up the ladder and down the hall in record time.

She got to the infirmary and heard the familiar buzz of an incoming transmission.  They had just landed and no doubt it was Dr. Kellerman, but Zoë didn't have time for him now.  They'd see him soon enough.  

Zoë picked up the jar containing the parasite they'd pulled from Wash and held it up for examination.  Dr. Kellerman had been adamant that the entire bug be removed and Zoë had been confident she had done just that.  Confident until she saw the poison lines again.

Head.  Two antennas.  Body in three segments, all there.  Legs.  Four on the left.  Four on the right.  Two pinchers, both intact.

"Damn," she muttered.  She'd been so sure.  She counted again.

"What's going on?" Jayne asked.

"Poison's back," Zoë said never taking her eyes off the jar, "Kellerman said it could happen if we missed a piece."  She counted again.

Jayne looked at the jar with her.

"Right there," he said pointing.

Zoë squinted but still couldn't see where he meant.

"The last leg on the left," he clarified, "end of it's missing."

Zoë put the jar down and shook her head.

"Where's Mal?" she asked after a beat.

"Think he went down to check on Wash."

Zoë nodded and began to make her way there as well when a loud bang was heard on the bay door.

"Probably Eden Station," Zoë said over her shoulder.

"Want I should let them in?" Jayne asked.

"Yeah, if Kellerman's with them send him down," Zoë answered.

She was halfway down the corridor as she heard Jayne opening the hatch.  There was less then a second to react.  As soon as the door was open a dozen or so men rushed in.  All wearing hazard suites and all armed.  The first thing they did was to throw Jayne to the floor and place an armed guard on him.  They got lucky.  Not expecting trouble, Jayne hadn't brought Vera with him.

Having heard the commotion Zoë had doubled back and Inara had left her shuttle.  They arrived at roughly the same time.  Inara was never armed and did not resist, but the same could not be said for Zoë.  Sheer instinct drove Zoë to reach for her sidepiece only to find it gone.  As soon as her hand got to her hip she remembered that it was in the infirmary.  She'd taken it off during Wash's procedure and hadn't put it back on.  Reluctantly, she put up her hands.

"Three down," the man who appeared to be in charge said into a hand-held radio as he motioned Zoë, Inara, and Jayne up against the far wall of the bay and motioned for them to sit.

Five men stayed behind to watch them, guns ready to fire.  If Inara was scared, she covered it well.  Jayne checked each of them out and then looked to Zoë.  Zoë had been looking only in one direction, the corridor that lead to Wash's bunk. 

Kaylee and Mal had heard most of the goings on but it hadn't bothered them much.  The noise and commotion was dim from the back of Serenity and to the two of them it sounded like nothing more then the mule being unloaded, so they paid it little mind.  Then it got closer.

Mal motioned Kaylee to be still and headed towards the ladder.  As quiet and quickly as he could make his way up.  Peeking his head out he first looked left down the empty passage.  Turning to scan the other direction he had just enough time to recognize that a boot was flying towards him and no more.  

Mal fell hard down the ladder and Kaylee screamed.  In the bay Jayne shot to his feet at the sound and strained his eyes down the path.  All of the guards readied their weapons on him.  He hadn't realized he'd moved until he felt Zoë's hand tugging on his arm holding him back.  Reluctantly he stayed put.

The noise had been enough to rouse Wash, but not very effectively.  He began to speak but no one really took notice.  Two men landed in the room and made no haste in disarming Mal and hauling him out.  Kaylee was next.  She proved much more difficult.  She'd stopped screaming but was still terrified and fought hard.  Mal had begun to come round as they dragged him down the hall.  Immediately he began to resist which only made Kaylee fight harder.

"Settle down sir," a sterile voice said from behind the garb, "no one's going to be hurt."

"What in the hell is going on?" Mal bellowed.

He wasn't answered.

Two more men arrived, this time carrying a gurney.  Mal and Kaylee now found themselves pushed against the wall.

In the front of the ship things were getting tenser.  The gurney arriving marked the beginning of Jayne's pacing.  He looked like a caged tiger.  Zoë found herself standing as well.  She had an idea that it might be for Wash.  Taking another look at Jayne she almost hoped it was.  Jayne looked as if he was fixing to do something foolish.

A few moments later Mal and Kaylee were led to join the group up front.  The same man as before indicated over his handheld that the ship was secure and all were accounted for.

Mal looked pissed.  He sat down and held his head in his left hand.  He was going to have a nasty bump.

"How'd this happen?" he directed at Jayne and Zoë.

"Jumped me at the door," Jayne said, visibly more relaxed since the others arrived.

"Left my sidearm in the infirmary," Zoë said flatly.

"Malcolm Reynolds?" a familiar voice asked.

"Dr. Kellerman I presume," Mal answered not bothering to get up.

"Yes, well," the man seemed embarrassed but continued anyway, "sorry about this.  Precaution."

  
"From what?"  
  
"The outbreak.  We can't have you in town.  It's really for your own good.  We'll transport you all to Eden Station for checkups.  Your pilot, of course, we'll cure as best we can.  Once done you can all go.  Really."

"Outbreak?" Inara asked, "I thought it was just Wash and that woman."

"Well," Kellerman said somewhat doggedly, "it was.  At first."

He quickly lost his audience as they all turned to watch the men carry Wash and the crate off the ship.

"Shouldn't take more then a few hours.  We'll have you out of here soon.  Really."


	9. Never Trust a Stranger

**Infectious by SLynn**

**Chapter 9:  Never Trust a Stranger**

The ride from Serenity to Eden Station was quick.  No one spoke they entire way and the streets were completely empty.  Once there the five of them were put into a holding cell and left.

"Anyone else think it strange that the entire town was empty?" Kaylee asked after a few minutes silence.

"Probably to scared to come out," Zoë added.

"Not like it was very full to begin with," Jayne said in a huff, but he had thought it odd.

Mal had been pacing the cell since the moment they'd been placed inside.  No one lacked the sense to bother him except Inara.

"You really should let Zoë look at that gash Mal," she said for the third or forth time.  They'd all lost track.  Mal, as usual, glared back at her but said nothing and kept moving.

"Why do you suppose they were wearing those suits?" Kaylee asked.

"Don't know," Zoë said staring at the door they'd entered through, "it's not airborne.  We'd all be sick by now if it was."

"You mean dead," Jayne corrected.

"Mal," Inara began again, "really.  You're bleeding."

Mal finally stopped and turned to her.

"I know that.  You don't think that I don't know that?  It's my head, I know when my head is bleeding."

If the remark had stung her at all she didn't let on.  She just glared right back at him until he finally caved and continued pacing.

"Sir," Zoë said drawing Mal's attention to the door as it opened.

Dr. Kellerman and a man they weren't familiar with stepped inside.  Kellerman looked nervous, even more so then he had aboard Serenity just hours ago.  There was no trace left of the arrogant know-it-all asshole they'd encountered over the feed several days back.  Here was a man who was terrified.  His companion on the other hand was the polar opposite.  Calm and collected with an air of command.  Clearly he ran this show.

"Captain Reynolds," Kellerman began somewhat hesitantly, "we're nearly ready to release you and your crew."  
  
The other man hung back with a smug half smile on his face.

"Where's my pilot?"

The others tried not to look to surprised at Mal's question, but it had caught them a bit off guard.  After all Mal had just been threatening to throw Wash off the ship, likely while it was moving.

"Um," Kellerman continued but he no longer met Mal's eyes, "of course you'll be compensated for your time.  We realize that you've been greatly put out by all of this."

Mal's eyes briefly darted to the other man and then back to Kellerman.

"I asked you a question and I expect an answer.  Where did you take my pilot?"

"Um… well…"

Before he could react Mal had snatched him by the shirt and pulled him into the cell's bars.  The other man actually laughed while the rest of Serenities crew said nothing.

"Talk," Mal said, his voice low and harsh, "Talk or so help me I will pull you through these bars and make you talk."

Jayne stepped up to help

"I think we could manage it," Jayne said with a smile.

It faded quickly.  Two armed guards came in.

Jayne took a step back again, but Mal didn't let go.

"I … can't …." Kellerman whimpered.

"Enough."

The man in the back had finally spoken.  His voice was loud, raspy and surprisingly deep.

Mal released Kellerman, who fled to the far wall, and stared down the man who now stood wisely just out of reach.

"You'll be taken back to your ship now.  After that you'll have half an hour to depart.  The entire planet will soon be under quarantine by order of the Alliance and its probably best if your not here when they arrive."

"And you are?" Zoë asked unable to keep the anger from creeping into her voice.

"Section Master Dennly," the man said to her with a smile she was accustomed to seeing more often in bars then in situations like these.  "I run this outfit."

Zoë made no attempt to mask her disgust, which made Dennly smile bigger.

Dennly motioned Kellerman out of the room as two more armed men arrived to open the cell and release them.

Before Dennly made it out the door Mal hollered at him that they hadn't answered his question.

"Forget him," Dennly shot back over his shoulder with a laugh as he exited, "He's dead."

****

Wash's first thought on waking was that Serenity must have landed because the engines were no longer humming.

He opened his eyes and let them adjust to the light.  He felt okay.  Actually, better then that.  He felt nearly good and almost rested.  

Just as he'd come to welcome back this feeling of well-being it was gone.  As Wash attempted to sit up a wave of nausea swept over him.  Worse still, his back seized.  Gritting his teeth in frustration he tried to at least turn to his side when he felt a pair of hands gently guide him back to the prone position.

"Zoë?" he asked trying hard to get a look at her.  He couldn't remember but he was pretty certain they'd argued about something.

"No," a familiar voice nearly purred, "not quite."

Adrienne came round the bed so he could see her.

"What…" he began in confusion.

"You should be resting."

Wash continued to stare at her stunned.

"How…"

"You're at Eden Station and you're going to be fine."

Wash looked around as best he could.  He couldn't believe it.  How'd he get off the ship?  And when?

"Here," she said adjusting the bed to a more upright position, "that should be better.  Would you like something to drink?  You can't eat anything yet, but maybe tomorrow."  
  


"Hold on," Wash said waving her off, "just hold on a sec.  I was just on Serenity.  I was arguing with Zoë or Mal, hell probably both of them.  It's all fuzzy."

Adrienne sat at his side with a look of concern.  It was then she noticed how pale she'd gotten and that she had a bandage wrapped tightly around her forearm.

  
"I was hoping I didn't have to tell you this now," she said looking a bit down.

"Has something happened?" he asked feeling sick and panicked all at once, "Is she… they… are they okay?"

"No," she continued her voice growing harder, "they're fine.  But…"

"What?"

"They left you here."  
  
Wash sat still not fully comprehending what he'd just been told.  

"Left?"

Adrienne nodded and it finally sunk in.  He had fought with Mal and he vaguely recalled packing his trunk.

"I tried to reason with him," Adrienne said not taking her eyes off of him, "but that Reynolds guy is stubborn.  I told him you didn't know what you'd been carrying, and Wash you have to believe me that I didn't either, but he wouldn't listen."

Wash just kind of bobbed his head suddenly feeling much worse for the wear.

"Anyway, you should rest," she said getting up and lowering the head of the bed for him, "We got your things for you, stored over there."

He didn't even bother looking.

  
"Get some rest okay?  You'll feel better in the morning and hey, this might work out for you.  My boss has been looking for a pilot for ages.  I'll talk with him and you can meet tomorrow."

Still nothing from him.

"Okay then," she as she headed towards the door and lowered the lights, "goodnight."

Wash had been too shocked to answer her.  To shocked to even acknowledge her at that point.  So much so that he never noticed the wicked smile on her face as she left.

****

It was the quietest Serenity had ever been.  For a solid two hours no one had so much as mumbled a syllable as they headed toward Persephone. 

Mal sat in the co-pilot's seat.

Serenity had only ever had one pilot and it felt strange now that that pilot was gone.  Sure, Mal had wanted to throw him out that very morning, but he'd known it hadn't been for the right reasons.  He could admit to himself now that he'd wanted Wash gone for other more personal and selfish reasons that he was almost glad that he didn't have to delve into now.  

Still.

He had wanted to hear him out.  He had wanted to know Wash's side of the story in all of this and now, well, now he wouldn't.

But there was more to it then that.  Mal had been stuck with a feeling he couldn't quite place and one that didn't sit well with him at all.  Sure, Wash had certainly been sick enough to die.  Mal had half expected him to before they reached Medea.  But all of it just wasn't adding up.  They claimed to have rushed them off because of the outbreak, but no one else seemed sick.  

Then there was the body. 

Mal had offered to transport Wash's body back to Demeter where Zoë had mentioned he'd still had some family.  It wasn't somewhere Mal wanted to go but it was the right thing to do.  Wash had died as a part of his crew, and even though there was nothing more he could have done, he felt responsible for that.  But his offer had been turned down flat.  They'd said that the body had to be cremated and there would be no need for transfer.  And again, it didn't add up.  Wash hadn't been contagious.  If he had they'd all of been buried by now.  Kellerman had told them it wasn't contagious days back, so why burn the body?

But seeing as none of this made any sense, the biggest mystery of it all had to be why.  What possible reason could there be behind all of this?  The lot on Eden Station hadn't gained anything.  In fact, they'd even tried paying Mal.  A lot.  A whole lot considering they were in the middle of nowhere with barely a town to sustain them.

That thought struck him hard.

It had to be hard living on Medea.  The nearest port town where they could stock up was Cronos where Serenity had delivered goods before arriving.  And Mal had to believe that a pilot, especially a good one, was hard to come by way out here in the middle of nothing.

Mal got up out of his seat and headed down through the common area.  He ignored Inara's inquisitive glance and kept heading straight back towards the crew's bunks.  Hurrying down the ladder into what had been Wash's room he tore open the wall lockers.

Empty.

The room had been cleaned out entirely.  Every one of Wash's possessions was gone.

  
Mal stood there for a minute to mad to move.  He'd finally placed that feeling he'd been having since leaving Medea.  The feeling that had been gnawing at his insides.  It was that unique mixture of anger and helplessness a person only gets when they realize that they've been robbed.


	10. Minds Made Up

**Infectious by SLynn**

**Chapter 10:  Minds Made Up**

They all sat in the common room, each with varying displays of disbelief dancing behind their eyes.  Mal had expected that it would take some convincing but he hadn't been prepared for the steady silence that greeted him now.  

"So, you think they what, they kidnapped him?" Kaylee asked the first to break the mood, her eyes still red from having been crying.

"It's not unheard of this far out," Inara added but still sounding doubtful.

"It's not like he has any money or anything," Jayne blurted out,  "They didn't ask for no ransom or nothing.  Hell, not like we'd pay it to get him back anyway."

The three women all shot him nasty looks not quite believing he'd said that.  Even Mal didn't look to kindly at him, so Jayne, being Jayne, rolled his eyes but figured it was time to keep his mouth shut.

"It wasn't for money," Mal answered after a beat, "couldn't of been, they'd offered **us money.  Only thing I can think is that they must of needed a pilot.  So they went and got themselves one.  Ours."**

"But why Wash?" Kaylee asked.  She was having the hardest time excepting it, "None of this makes sense.  They could of taken anyone they'd run across.  Or, they could of just done the normal thing and hire a hand.  I just don't…"

Kaylee let her words drift off.  It had been a long week.  With the fighting and the sickness and then the talks and it had all ended with death, but now that might not even be true.  All of it was making her head spin.

"Lee."

 "I figured the same," Mal agreed choosing to ignore the venom in Zoë's voice.

"She knew Wash.  She offered up the job.  She set this up."

"So," Inara said a bit tentatively, "what are we going to do Mal?"

They all looked at him expectantly.  Jayne seemed a bit dubious.  Kaylee was scared.  Inara just sat there as if it didn't affect her either way.  Zoë just looked anxious.  And she was.  She half expected Mal to say, 'forget him,' and press for Persephone, but the other half of her knew he wouldn't.  Mal had been angry at Wash, angrier then she could remember seeing him in a while, but he was also a fair man.  If Mal had truly thrown Wash off he wouldn't have been worried about him back on Medea.  Mal couldn't leave behind one of his own to this fate.  Zoë knew that.  And Mal's concern clearly showed he still thought of Wash in those terms.  But for a moment, she was anxious.

"We're going back," Mal said flatly.

Jayne's was the only one whose expression remained unchanged.  As Mal began handing out orders he waited behind.  Finally after the others had shuffled off Jayne spoke up.

"You really think he's alive."

It was a statement of disbelief, not a question.

"Well Jayne, I don't think they would have taken his things otherwise," his tone was borderline condescending.

"Mal," Jayne said shaking his head, "if these people are slavers, they ain't going to let him go without a fight.  There's probably fifty people in that outfit we know of.  Who's to say there ain't more?  You think the three of us got a chance bustin in and out again?"  
  
Mal just stared at him.  He was beginning to get a feel for where this was headed.

"And if he ain't dead Mal, which I still think he is, he's about near it.  They carried him off the ship.  **We'd** have to carry him back on.  And if we're carrying him …"

Just as he'd thought.  Everything came down to money with this man.  Going back for Wash wasn't going to get them anything but grief as far as Jayne saw.

"Tell you what," Mal said leaning in, "when the three of us do go in, how about you let Zoë and I worry about getting Wash back out.  Leave your hands free for carrying other things."

Jayne kind of smirked, glad he'd been understood.

"Still think he's dead," he said over his shoulder as he left.

Mal didn't care what Jayne thought.  He'd made up his mind.

****

Wash felt very much like he'd just awoken from a three-week bender the next morning.  His head was pounding, his vision was blurred and his entire body pulsed with a dull ache.  

"You're up," Adrienne Lee practically chirped.

"Kind of," Wash mumbled.

"How you feeling?"  
  
"Not good."

For a moment she looked concerned, a slight moment.  

"It'll wear off.  It's the remnants of the antidote.  We had to give you a fairly large dose yesterday."  
  
Wash nodded but didn't really comprehend what she was saying.

"Come on," she said again.  Wash couldn't help thinking she was entirely too upbeat.   "We'll get something to eat and you'll feel better."

Slowly Wash got up.  His back was still tight but walking was far less difficult today then he'd remembered it being the day before.

"Mind if I shower first," Wash said as he realized that he'd probably been in the same clothes for the better part of a week now.

"No problem," she smiled, "I'll show you where."  
  


Wash felt much better having gotten clean and changed.  His head was beginning to feel normal again and he'd even managed to walk now without hunching over.  Lee had given him a tour of the common areas and the rooms.  Wash hadn't seen much of this on his last visit and he was somewhat impressed with the size of Eden Station as it was easily larger then the town it resided next to.

"I know it's nothing like anything we had on Demeter, but it's better then most," Lee finished as they headed to the mess area.

He had been feeling good until she'd said that.  He'd been remembering more and more of what had taken place on Serenity and now had a pretty good idea why Mal had chosen to leave him behind.  Demeter.  Mal couldn't trust him because he came from Demeter.  More then that, Mal wouldn't trust him because he hadn't been upfront with him.

Wash had been feeling guilty about it for some time now, long before all of this, but couldn't bring himself to actually tell Mal.  It wasn't like telling Zoë.  Telling her had been easy.  One day they were talking and she asked and instead of changing the subject or lying, which he'd always done in the past to anyone who had asked, he told her.  Told her the truth, as much of it as she wanted to hear.  Probably more then she wanted to know.  Much more.  But she didn't judge him because of it.  Didn't treat him different.  She just accepted it and that had made him feel good about himself.  Better then he had in a long time.  He would have told her anything she'd asked.  Done anything she'd asked.

"Wash?  Wash?"

He snapped back to reality.  Adrienne looked annoyed that he'd drifted off like that.  He couldn't remember what she'd been saying.  He was too busy thinking of other things.  Other people.

"I asked you if you'd like to meet my boss now," she said haughtily, "Doing you a favor… remember?"  
  


"Sorry," Wash muttered, "I'm just letting my thoughts get away from me."  
  
"Listen," she said her voice growing warmer, "I know your upset about everything that's happened."  
  
"I'm that easy to read huh," he cut in jokingly.

"Well," she said rolling her eyes, "it wasn't that hard to figure out.  But seriously, you're going to love it here.  Everyone does.  Give it a few days and you won't even remember what any of them look like."  
  
Not wanting to argue with her he agreed but knowing for certain that he would never forget Zoë's face.

As they left from their breakfasts, Wash finally started to pay attention to what was going on around him.  He'd assumed from everything Lee had told him about Eden Station that it was primarily a farming community, growing and producing new plant life.  Now, on the inside, they looked more like miners or some kind of shipping outfit.  Not that he pretending to understand any of it in the first place, but it some how seemed off.

Lee had told him everything she could about the job.  It was mostly shuttle work between Medea and a few of the closest planets.  In his opinion it sounded boring as hell, but he didn't want to offend her.  They stopped in front of large black door.

"Wait a minute," Wash said grabbing her wrist, "I'm not exactly use to doing things like this.  I'm not even sure I want this job.  I've got some credits; I may decide to just catch the next freight out of here to a larger port.  This guy isn't expecting me to take this job, is he?"

For a moment he thought he saw anger light up her eyes, but it faded quickly.

"No ones going to force you to do anything."  
  


"I know that," he said trying to back peddle a bit.  He'd offended her, as much as said her job was dull and not worth doing.  "I'm not saying no, I just, I'm not sure this is what I want to do right now.  I really should be just getting my head together again."

"Just hear him out, okay?" she said flashing a brilliant smile.

Wash nodded, but wasn't convinced.  He was already thinking of polite ways of saying no.

"Okay, this is it," she said obviously excited.

"Okay then," he returned without near as much enthusiasm.  She didn't seem to care as they entered the office.

Behind a large rather expensive looking desk sat the man Lee had been talking about all morning.  Dennly.  Wash took one look at him and knew that he wouldn't be taking the job.

"Mr. Warren is it?" he said coolly.

"Wash is fine."

"Ms. Lee here has told me all about you.  Says you're an excellent pilot, which is extremely fortunate, because that is exactly what he need here."  
  
Lee was smiling big at the both of them and nudged him with her elbow.  Apparently it was his turn to speak again.

"Yeah," Wash said, not sure what he was suppose to be saying, "Lee and I go back a ways."

"Yes," Dennly said motioning them to have a seat, "knew you growing up.  Demeter right?"

He didn't wait for Wash to answer.

"You were both on your way to becoming ensigns at the academy.  To bad you failed out.  Alliance always needs good pilots, although I won't be too upset you got past them.  If you hadn't you wouldn't be here working for me."

Dennly let out a kind of muted laugh.

"About that…" Wash tried to interject.

"You can start tomorrow, first thing in the morning.  Ms. Lee can fill you in…"  
  
"I haven't said yes," Wash said rather louder and much more curtly then he'd meant too.  Dennly talking so casually about his past, one he'd tried so hard to forget, had really irked him.  He'd learned to trust his instincts about people and he knew what they were telling him about this man.  He wouldn't be taking this job.

Dennly looked angrily at Lee who, for her part, looked startled.

"Wash, I don't think you understand what Mr. Dennly is offering you here," she said turning to him.

"And I don't think you heard me," Wash said rising to his feet.

"Sit down Mr. Warren," Dennly said tonelessly, "and let me explain to **you how things work here."  
  
Wash sat.  He had a very bad feeling about this.**

"They way I see things is that you owe us.  We saved your life Mr. Warren.  Took you in when we didn't have too.  If we hadn't of provided you with the antidote to that nasty venom that was running through your veins, you would be dead."

He let that sink if before continuing.

"Now these things don't come cheap in these parts.  Not cheap at all.  So, you can either pay me now for the services my staff and I have provided for you or you can work off your debt.  How you work off your debt is your choice, but believe me when I say that flying a shuttle craft might be boring, but it is not nearly as demanding as working on my docks."

"How much do you think I owe you?" Wash asked unwilling to hide the sarcasm.

"I figure you owe us upwards of 20,000 credits, and that's being generous.  You'll make roughly 75 credits a week on the docks.  One hundred and fifty as a pilot.  Of course, we'll need to deduct some of that for housing and rations."

"And how much is that?" Wash asked.

"Thirty-five credits a week," the man said with a smug smile.

Wash put his head down into his hands as he did a quick mental calculation.  At that rate he'd be here 'working off his debt' for over 3 years if he flew and close to 10 years if he didn't.

Dennly wasn't surprised at first by his reaction; he'd seen resignation before.  Truth was, he liked it.  Everyone reacted differently.  Some cried.  Some got angry.  Most of them just accepted their fate.  He hadn't been prepared for laughter.

"This is some scam you've got going," Wash said, still laughing.

"I don't see what is amusing about this," Dennly said tight lipped.  From the looks of it, neither did Lee.

"It's just that my mother always said I'd end up just like my father.  I'm sure **Lee** here has told you all about her too," Wash said throwing a significant glance her way which she ignored.

Dennly didn't ignore her however.  He was now glaring at the woman.

"And just so we're all clear," Wash said after he'd finally stopped laughing, "there's no way in hell I've flying for you.  Got to keep some kind of respect for myself."

"As you like," Dennly said the smile creeping back onto his face.  He reached under the table and pressed a button.  Two armed men appeared at the door.

"Take him to be fitted, he'll be on dock nine under Chang."

"Sir?" Lee nearly gasped.

"He's done this to himself," Dennly said with a grin.

Wash was good at pushing people's buttons.  Very good.  And he knew he had pushed Dennly to far.  As the two men led him down the hall, Lee trailing them, Wash briefly bemoaned his fate and silently made up his mind that the next time he found himself in a situation like this he'd keep his big mouth shut.  That was, of course, assuming there'd be a next time.


	11. Not Knowing

Infectious by SLynn 

**Notes:**  In all honesty, I never thought I'd still be writing this story.  I thought I could get it all out in about a month, but it's proven much harder to do.  It's been so hard mainly because of things ongoing in my life but another big reason has been because I just keep expanding the story.  I've finally whittled out the plot to what I want to happen and now it's just a matter of getting it to paper.  BTW – CoolBreez, thanks for the reviews!  I have been neglecting Zoë a bit but only to help further the plot.  She's starting off this chapter.  Also – preordered my Firefly DVD's.  December can't get here fast enough.

**Chapter 11:  Not Knowing**

Serenity had been circling Aeetes for three days.  Aeetes was the large uninhabitable planet that Medea and its twin moon Absyrtis orbited.  Mal had decided that staying on the far side of Aeetes was best for now.  He hadn't been too sure how connected these folks were to the Alliance, or what kind of ships they might have of their own, but either way he wanted to stay out of sight.  More then anything he knew he had to make Dennly believe Serenity had left for good.

The original plan had been for Mal and Jayne to take the shuttle to Medea, land near enough to Eden Station, and case the place for a few days.  They needed to learn the routines surrounding the place and most importantly they needed to be certain Wash was alive.  They had to set eyes on him.  

Abruptly the plan had changed.

Zoë had been livid.  While she didn't voice her opinion in front of the rest of the crew the very moment she had Mal alone she let him have it.  There was no way a landing party was forming without her on it.  Period.  

Mal had tried to get her to see reason; he couldn't very well leave Jayne in charge of the ship.  Doing that was an open invitation to trouble.  She really had no counter to that, as it was true enough.  Times before when they'd left the ship together Wash had been there to ensure they'd have a ship to return too.  Now he wasn't.  She just said they'd have to trust Jayne.  That and Kaylee could always kill the engines if he tried anything funny.

Mal still hadn't been convinced.  He was beginning to fathom that her feelings for Wash must run a bit deeper then he'd hoped, especially if she was causing such a ruckus to be apart of the survey team.  And it was largely because of that he had pushed back harder for her not go.  He didn't want her there if they did find out he'd been wrong and Wash was dead.  He was trying to spare her, but she wasn't having it.

Finally, after an hours worth of arguing she'd grown silent and turned away from him.  He thought it was over then he just managed to hear her say, "I have to know Mal.  I can't just wait here **not** knowing."

Her voice was edgy and raw and it had wavered.  No calling him 'Sir'.  No calling him 'Captain'.  She'd been pleading with him as a friend.  There was nothing more he could do.

"We'll leave in an hour."

She had nodded and neither of them spoke of it again.

Three days later they were still surveying the place with no sign of Wash.  

At first they both had been optimistic and the first day had gone quickly.  They'd found it easier to monitor Eden Station then they could have hoped for.  Mal and Zoë had set up a rough camp in the surrounding foothills and took turns watching it from a distance through the ships one pair of laser binoculars.

Neither had expected to spot him right off.  They were able to tell that Eden Station wasn't nearly as well manned as they had first thought.  It was roughly thirty people who looked like they were a regular part of the outfit or hired hands.  Out of them roughly ten or so looked to be running things, this included Adrienne Lee who they saw quite frequently, Dennly who showed up at least once a day, Dr. Kellerman and an older Chinese man who looked like he was in charge of the shuttle dock and adjoining cargo bay.  Aside from the hired hands there were also between forty to fifty people working in the surrounding fields that were almost certainly being held against their will.  

Eden Station appeared to have only one cargo shuttle that made three daily trips and judging by the sloppy take-offs and landings it was most definitely not being piloted by Wash.  

At the start of the second day Zoë still tried to remain hopeful.  Inside her mind was turmoil.  She knew part of her wanted to be here searching because she felt guilty.  When Dennly had told them Wash was dead she'd been certain that she was the reason.  She'd missed part of the parasite and he'd died because of it.  

Zoë had seen death before.  Had been there and watched it drain the life from young men and women and had not been able to stop it, but this had been different.  She couldn't pin point why this had been so personal to her, couldn't account for the feeling it stirred at the time, but mostly there had been shock.  She had been in shock until Mal had told them all that he thought Wash was alive and then the feelings became clearer.

There was something special between the two of them that was almost intangible.  Something not quite defined yet, but on the verge of being.  Without realizing it, each day the feelings she had for him had grown; with each talk, each moment together they'd become closer to each other.  It had all felt so easy and natural and had all hurt so horribly when she thought it had been lost for good.

It might never amount to anything more significant then one night together, but she had to know.  More then anything, she wanted to know.  She felt a connection to Wash and felt compelled to see what would become of it.

So as the second day ended with still nothing significant to report Zoë felt the pain of that loss creeping back into her system.  Mal tried to remain positive, but she could read his face.  All to clearly he'd thought that if they were going to see him alive they would have by now.  He managed to get closer to the station that day while Zoë had continued to sweep the site.  The buildings, four apart from the bay, were mainly empty.  The only ones that had occupants during the daytime were the mess, which held five cooks, and the laboratories, which he could glimpse from the outside held about ten technicians.  The possibility that Wash was still sick stuck in his head, but there was no way to enter the infirmary and confirm that without being seen.

Zoë had been quiet that night.  The next evening they were scheduled to rendezvous back at Serenity with the remainder of the crew.  As before they took turns keeping watch in the night, but neither of them really slept.

At the start of the third day they thought there was new reason to hope.  The shuttle, which had normally departed at 0630 on both days previous, did not take off.

Eagerly they had watched the cargo bay for the next several hours, and aside from the usual activity in the fields, they saw nothing more significant then a minor skirmish amongst one of the field workers and one of the heads.  The shuttle failing to leave turned out to be nothing more then what looked like a broken part.  

"Zoë," Mal finally said at the end of the day as the field hands began to head in, "we should be headed back."

She said nothing but continued scanning the cargo bay and surrounding areas.

"He's probably held up in the infirmary is all."

Zoë was still looking.

"We'll come back tomorrow evening and set up…"

"There," she said hurriedly cutting him off and pointing out towards the bay, "that's him."

Mal took the binoculars from her to see for himself, not certain he believed it.

"About twelve back in the line headed inside," she told him as he scanned around.

It had taken a minute for Mal to find the individual Zoë had pointed out and another minute to recognize him as Wash.  His hair had been cropped much too short and he was covered from head to toe in dirt.  Aside from that he also had a nasty black eye and looked a bit too short to be Wash, but Mal soon noticed it was because he was walking with a definite crick in his back and was partly hunched over.  By the time the man reached the door Mal had been positive too.  It was Wash.  Zoë and him had spent so much of their time searching the cargo bay and surrounding area without ever having paid attention to the people working in the fields.  And that's where he'd been, probably the whole time they'd been looking.  Judging from the shiner he had been the person they'd seen in the fight that very morning.

Mal felt a bit guilty about it.  It hadn't really occurred to him that Wash would be doing anything other then piloting; it hadn't occurred to him that Wash would refuse to fly.  No one would go out of there way to snatch a skilled worker and have them hefting cargo and digging ditches.  He hadn't given a thought about him doing it, but Wash must have told them off.  It kind of made Mal feel a bit guilty because he should have realized Wash had too much pride to work for a scumbag like Dennly.  

"That's him alright," Mal finally acknowledged with a bit of a smile on his face as he set down the binoculars.

After a moment's reflection, the smile faded.  Mal hoped Wash didn't have so much pride that he got himself killed.

****

Wash set down heavily at the table for dinner.  He was exhausted and was really too tired to eat.  He'd never been above working hard but this was down right ridiculous.  All day long from sun up to sun down he was in fields harvesting, planting, weeding, you name it they were doing it.  They only stopped three times for breaks, all of which were short.  They, of course, were him and his fellow prisoners.  At first he thought it might not be too bad because at least he had company, except not a one spoke English but himself.  The majority spoke Chinese and Wash knew some Chinese, but seeing as it was mostly swears, he couldn't really hold decent conversations with anyone.  

That might have been the hardest part; he had no one to talk too.  Lee had tried to talk with him the first couple of nights after he discovered what kind of 'arrangement' had been made for him here, but he would have none of that.  That very morning she'd tried to persuade him to help fix the shuttle, which their current pilot, a real amateur, had overloaded a thruster on.  Lee had said that doing it would show Dennly he wasn't quite so hard headed and might make leaving Eden Station easier.  It **was** an easy fix and wouldn't have taken more then an hour, but he wouldn't do it.  She'd persisted and he'd told her where she could stick her shuttle and that's when the head guy they called Chang had socked him in the eye.  Didn't hurt much anymore, he just wished he could have hit him back but he had been swarmed before he had the chance.

Wash got up and tossed his untouched dinner in the trash before heading up to his bunk.  The only bright spot of this whole thing was that he had his own room.  No wait, it was a cell.  There was no bright spot, this was a nightmare.

He never thought Lee would have sold him out like this.  Or that Mal and the others would have just left him like this.  Dennly and his cronies were going to keep him here until he died of exhaustion and no one would care.  Lee had certainly picked the right man for the job; no family and no friends to speak of.  He was theirs now.

As he lay on his bed, to tired to clean up or even change out of his filthy dust covered clothes he heard the audible click of the door locking him in followed shortly by another click coming from his wrist.

That damn bracelet.  Eden Station's insurance.

Wash's first idea had been to run for it.  As soon as he comprehended what was going on he knew he'd just have to find his way out.  He hadn't counted on their insurance policy.

That metal bracelet was the first thing they'd attached to him after leaving Dennly's office.  It was simple really.  They attached it to his wrist and it had lit up with a green light.  Then they explained it to him.  All around Eden Station's perimeter were monitors.  These monitors synced up with the bracelets.  If someone happened to wander off of Eden Station wearing one of these bracelets the light would go red and after three minutes the whole thing would detonate.

Wash hadn't liked the sound of that.  He was a pilot after all and pilots needed both their hands to do their job.

Then after a few days of fieldwork Wash began to rethink that.  Did he really need both hands to steer?  Not really.  He could fly with one arm.  

The next day he saw the only one armed man in the place with one of those bracelets around his neck and all thoughts of conventional escape left Wash's head in a hurry.

For the time being he was theirs.  He didn't like it and was sure to let them know that every chance he got, black eye or not, but he could wait it out.  He'd work where he had too, but never where they wanted him too.  He didn't look it but Wash was a patient man.    He wasn't always a well thought out or a well-organized man, but he could be patient.  After all, he'd waited patiently for nearly a year to get close to Zoë…

That thought hurt.

Wash rubbed his face and tried hard not to think it again, but he couldn't help himself.  Zoë and him…. well, there was no Zoë and him.  And now there never would be. 

That's what probably hurt the most.  He'd gotten so close.  Cared about her so much and now she was gone.  Mal had likely told her by now about what Wash had let slip out during their last argument, something about him being a cadet in the academy, and Zoë was now probably relieved nothing had ever happened between them.  It was all a misunderstanding, he hadn't gotten out the whole of it to Mal before the fever had taken him, but it didn't matter now.

He just wished he had one memory of a kiss Zoë and him had shared to hold on to.  Hell, he'd never even gotten the nerve up to hold her hand and it was a shame.  Now the memory of what might have been would have to be good enough to sustain him.

He thought about it despite himself.  He thought about her.

It was all he had left.


	12. Perception

**Infectious by SLynn**

**Chapter 12:  Perception**

Kaylee greeted them right at the door, much as Mal had suspected she would.

"Well?" she blurted out before either of them could even get inside, "Was he there?  Did you see him?  What happened?"  
  
"Nice to see you too Kaylee," Mal answered, "Yes we would like to take a few minutes, unload our things, very good of you to offer."

Zoë, who was in much better spirits having finally seen Wash after three days searching, actually laughed.

"Okay, sorry," Kaylee replied but didn't sound it, "I can't help it.  We've been dying of suspense up here."

"Speak for yourself," Jayne grumbled from behind her.

"So it's good right," she began again, "you're both smiling so it must be good."  
  


Jayne, now shouldering a large portion of the load, leaned in close so only Mal could hear him.

"It'd better be good.  She's been driving me nuts.  And if she starts crying again…"

"It's mostly good," Mal said cutting him off.

They all settled into the common room and Mal retold the past three days events.

"So what's the plan?" Kaylee asked eagerly.

Mal looked to Zoë who now had real concern etched on her face.

"Well, we can't very well just show up down there and demand him back," Mal began, "Don't think they'd take kindly to it and we don't know just how many _friends_ Dennly has."

"'Sides," Jayne added helpfully, "they'd just want money.  Probably the kind we don't got."  
  


Mal nodded his agreement.

"You know," Zoë said reflectively, "he's out working in that yard all day and there aren't any fences.  We could probably just pick him up without them noticing if we planned it right."  
  


Jayne let out a snort.  "Not unless you want him back missing pieces."  
  
They all looked at him confused.

"Didn't notice Wash sporting any shiny new jewelry did you?" he continued unfazed.

Zoë shook her head.  She'd only been checking for his face.

"Yeah," Mal nodded starting to get the gist of Jayne's argument, "all the field workers had 'em around their wrists."  
  


"Had what?" Kaylee asked.  Zoë was afraid she already knew the answer.

"Explosives.  Small load, probably enough to do some damage, maybe take an arm.  They probably got the perimeter marked underground, seeing as you both didn't seen no fences," Jayne explained.  He lived for moments like this.  "You see, they want you to be afraid of leaving but if you do try they don't want to kill yah. You're not worth nothing to them dead.  You ask me, he's lucky it's just his arm.  One place I ran across, all the men had them strapped to their…"  
  
"I think we get the point Jayne," Mal said quickly cutting him off, "How many of these you seen?"  
  
"A few."  It was as specific as he was going to get.

"You think Kaylee here could take one off?"

"Without blowing it up?" Jayne asked kind of smiling much to the irritation of Kaylee.

"That would be the preferred way."  
  
"Depends."  
  
"On what?" Kaylee asked growing more offended.

"Some I've seen are rigged to go if you tamper with 'em," Jayne said thoughtfully, "but she could probably handle it."  
  
Kaylee smiled at him pleased.  She'd never been this involved in one of Serenity's operations before.

"Okay then," Mal said, "we'll try it that way.  Land Serenity as close as we dare, take the mule out to Eden Station, find where the perimeter fences are and…"

"We need to talk," Inara said from the doorway.

"Yes we do," Mal responded as if he'd initiated the conversation, "You're going to have to take your shuttle off for a few days.  You decide where, we'll rendezvous with you once…"

"That can wait," Inara cut in, "it's about Dennly."

****

Wash sat at the same table as always and quietly ate his breakfast.  The place was practically deserted.  In the mornings the cells unlocked at a certain hour and you had only so long to do everything you needed, like shower and eat, before you were expected at your station.  About halfway through his meal, another person joined him at the table.  Some one familiar.

"I have nothing to say to you," he said without looking up.

"Wash," Lee began as she always did, "you're being stubborn."  
  


"No, I'm being held against my will." 

"If you would just take the pilot position things will get better."

"I'm not flying for you or that man."

"But you'd fly for the Alliance."

Now he was mad.

Wash slammed down his utensils and looked up at her.

"That's a lie."

"No, it's a matter of perception," she said leaning back and smiling, "I was there.  We were at the academy together."

"I had no choice in that and you know it."

She just shrugged her shoulders.  Lee enjoyed getting under his skin like this.

"Is that what you told them to get them to leave me here?" he asked with all seriousness.

She stayed silent and continued to meet his gaze.  It was better to have him believe they'd left him behind on purpose as apposed to how it had really happened.

Wash finally just gave a little nod of his head and looked back to his plate.

Lee was still smiling.  She figured he'd come around in another week tops.  He'd better.  Dennly wasn't a man to be toyed with and Lee was having a hard enough time convincing him to be patient with Wash.

She was about to leave when he addressed her.

"I've been thinking."

"Yes," Lee said hopefully as she sat back down.  Maybe he had finally seen reason.

"It was really lucky that the only person on Serenity to catch that bug was me."

She didn't like where this was headed, but said nothing.

"Really lucky," he said looking up at her.  "You here were in need of a pilot and the first pilot who crosses your path gets sick and you're the only ones with the cure."

He took a few more bites, still not looking up at her.  She just sat stone still.

"A cure which costs more then most could afford.  Way more then anyone living this far out could."

She was absolutely glaring at him now.

"So I have to figure that it couldn't be an accident, could it?  It just seems too perfect."

"Could be fate," she said coldly.

"Could be," he said with a kind of laugh, "but you see, I believe a man makes his own fate."

Without another word he got up and left.  Lee sat there for a few minutes more.  It was becoming clear that Wash was turning into a liability.

****

Inara had stated the facts plainly.  

Dennly was connected in a big way.  His brother was a vice admiral with the Alliance.  The operation on Eden Station was a sponsored one and the laborers there prisoners.  Going in and busting Wash out would be a mistake.  A big mistake.  Likely all they'd do is end up working there themselves.

Their options were growing thin.  The general feeling amongst them was doubt.

"Well, Wash didn't do anything wrong," Kaylee nearly pleaded, "Couldn't we just go and tell someone?"

Normally Kaylee's naivety about these types of things would have amused them, Jayne in particular, but now it just seemed wrong to have to let her hopes down.

"That's not how it works out here," Zoë told her.

"No one would care," Jayne added.

"That might not be true," Inara said after some thought, "Some of the outer planets chancellors have been appealing for stricter laws regarding kidnapping.  We could address the local chancellor's office."

"And why would they help us?" Mal asked her, "Why would they bother?  We're nothing to those people."  
  


"But Dennly doesn't know that," Zoë began, "If he's got family high up in the Alliance, then I'm guessing he's trying to keep the kidnapping part of his operation quiet."

"What are you saying?" Mal said turning to her.

"We bluff."

"Bluff?" Mal asked, "How?  We waltz back in there and tell Dennly we're going to start making noise if they don't hand over our pilot?  We talked about this already, can't be done."  
  


"Not like that, but if we go about it the right way…"

"Zoë," Mal began, "They know we don't have any connections to no official folks.  They'll never believe that."

 "Maybe _we _don't," Zoë continued, indicating herself and Mal.  He smiled at her catching her meaning.

"But _you_ do," Mal finished turning towards Inara.

They were all now staring at Inara expectantly.

"Can I have a word alone with you Mal?" she asked, her face carefully masking her feelings.

Mal agreed and the moved into the adjoining corridor just out of earshot.

"Mal, hear me out," she began, which was never good, especially when Inara was concerned, "I like Wash and I want to help, but I can't do this.  I can't go lying and threatening officials.  If this doesn't go well I could lose my license.  I've never interfered in your business and you've never interfered with mine and with that said we've also never _helped_ each other with our businesses.  It would be crossing a line I'm not comfortable with."

"You done?"  
  
"Yes."

"Good then.  Here's what we'll need you to do…"  
  
"Mal," she interrupted, "you're not listening to me."  
  


"I'm listening, I'm just not buying it.  Now you need to hear me out.  This is our only shot.  You said so yourself, we try busting him out of there and we'll all end up in jail or worse.  We could go down there, said we've been doing some thinking and didn't feel right about the situation, you explain that if things didn't go well for us you'd be forced to call in some favors and have the whole operation looked at."

"But Mal that might not work.  What if they call us on it?  They might not believe that I have that kind of authority or influence."

"We'll make them believe it."

Inara looked down and shook her head.

"I can't do this Mal.  The whole reason you have me onboard is for cover.  If I start helping out on these little escapades then that cover is blown.  I'd be of no use to you then."

"And under any other circumstance I wouldn't ask you to be involved, but we're not talking about bootlegging here Inara, we're talking about a man's life."

Inara met Mal's eyes for a moment and for a moment wavered.

"It's your decision.  If you want to go in back in there and tell them you won't help, go ahead.  I'm not doing that for you."

Inara shook her head again and almost smiled.

"You owe me," she said as she headed back towards the common room.  
  


"Name the price."


	13. Never Can Tell

**Infectious by SLynn**

**Notes:  **Thanks for the patience and all of the great reviews.  I really do plan on finishing this story, hopefully before they make the movie!  I appreciate all of the complements and critiques.  I do plan on revising earlier chapters, just not at this moment.  I've got two stories (just began Fury – Buffy fic) bouncing off each other inside my head right now and it's not a pretty site.  If I don't get them both out on paper soon, well, I might just go insane.  But seriously, I do promise not to sacrifice one for the other.

**Chapter 13:  Never Can Tell**

"Firefly class Serenity calling Eden Station."

No answer.

"Firefly class Serenity calling Eden Station, Medea.  Do you read?"

Still nothing.

"Should I try again?" Inara asked Mal, somewhat doubtful.  They'd been asking for nearly an hour to no avail.

"Tell you what, just tell them we're on our way to pick up our property," Mal told her, "Give 'em an hour."

Inara just shrugged and turned back to the comm link.

"Firefly class Serenity calling Eden Station.  Be advised, we land in one hour to pick up cargo left behind."

The unit crackled and popped to life.  Someone definitely heard that.

"Serenity this is Eden Station, please repeat last.  "

Voice only, no picture.  Sounded a bit like Kellerman.

"We'll be landing within the hour," Inara said coolly.

"Serenity, we advise you not to land at this time.  We're experiencing an outbreak here.  The whole town is in lockdown."

The voice, whoever it was, sounded worried.

"We're aware of your situation Eden Station.  We'll be landing within the hour."

Inara cut the link and looked up at Mal.

"You're sure about this?" she asked.

"Don't have much choice."

****

Wash was really confused.

Less then half an hour ago Chang and one of his foremen showed up and dragged him away from the line.  They hadn't said anything to him about why or even where they were going, so he was a bit surprised when he was shoved back into his cell and told to clean up and pack.

Wash didn't really have to pack seeing as he never unpacked.  He liked to keep everything in his trunk; it was something he'd done since leaving Demeter.  Even when he'd been on Serenity he hadn't unpacked, not completely.  Unpacking was too much like declaring yourself home.  

Wash had stayed on Serenity for a lot longer then he had planned too.  Probably would have stayed longer if...  

Until Serenity he hadn't thought he could settle.  Usually, after about six months, he just got itchy to leave.  Crew would get on his nerves or the captain would start telling him how to fly, so he'd just quit.  Take another job.  It had been easy.  Serenity had been different.  After six months he still felt like staying, so he did.  And that had been easy too.  Ten months, three week and two days.

He sighed as he sat on the bed not really knowing what was happening.  Not sure if he cared much either.  Then he heard it.  A rumbling, low noise.  Sounded a bit like a ship coming into atmo.  Not large.  Possibly a …

Wash turned his head a bit towards the noise and looked up at the window.

A Firefly.  It sounded _just_ like a Firefly coming into atmo.

Wash got up on the bed and peered outside.  All of the cells had small rectangular windows over the beds.  They were high up and didn't open but at least you could see out of them.

Sure enough, there she was.

Serenity.

Serenity was landing in the cargo dock.

"What the…"

He didn't get a change to finish the sentence because Chang was back.  He'd dragged him off the bunk and told him to pick up his gear.

"They change their minds?" he asked more to himself then to Chang. 

****

Zoë sat anxiously at the helm.  

Mal and Inara had just left.  She hadn't been happy to learn Mal wouldn't be taking her or Jayne, but understood his point.  There would be no arguing over this.  He needed someone who could not only fly the ship if need be, but also someone there to protect it.  Couldn't do both at once.  Besides, he had wanted Dennly to feel threatened, but not as if he was being attacked.  Jayne always looked like he was about to punch you, and Mal had actually worried Zoë might really do just that.  So Mal and Inara had gone alone.

She wasn't really worried about them succeeding.  Not overly worried that was.  Men like Dennly were bullies.  They liked pushing people around, but typically gave in if you pushed back.

What really had her worried was Wash.  She couldn't help but think he might not be too happy to see them.  Or her.

No telling what they told him when he woke up there to find Serenity and it's crew gone, but she could imagine it wasn't good.

And he was stubborn.  He might not even want to hear them out.

She had to admit though it was one of the things she liked about him.  All the men in her life had been stubborn.  There was no sense in denying the trend.

****

Serenity had returned.

In fact, Serenity's captain, Malcolm Reynolds and one of the women, a companion apparently, were now sitting outside of Dennly's office.

Dennly had purposely kept them waiting.  It was his station and he'd play this out his way.  Besides, there was no reason to hurry.  He had to give Lee time to take care of the situation.

Not long after the transmission from Serenity had come in did he decide it was time to have a long talk with his bio-engineer.

He was a man who liked things done simply.  The situation he now found himself in was anything but simple.

When the need for a new pilot had arisen Adrienne Lee said she could provide him with one.  She was still young and edger to prove herself.  She had been promised a substantial promotion if things had gone well and as it turned out she was not above deceit to get things done, even to the point of selling out one of her oldest friends.  

Dennly had no problems with that in fact he admired it.  Those types of tactics had served him well throughout the years.  He had been glad to see her show such resourcefulness.  However, she seemed to lack attention to detail.  Lee had misread the situation.  She had made a mistake in picking out Mr. Warren as the right type of person to pilot for Eden Station.  Now she had to rectify that mistake.

Serenity had come back for their pilot.

He knew they were going on nothing more then a hunch.  Sometimes that happened.  And he was fairly certain that when he did get around to talking with them that they wouldn't have much to back them up.  It wasn't the soundest of plans, but it was ballsy.  He liked that, but not enough to lose face.

Too bad for them.  

He had told Lee what needed to be done.  Had explained it all very clearly.  He had sent away the crew of Serenity believing that their pilot was dead.  Now they had come back and Dennly would not be made out as a liar.

Simple.

****

Wash sat on his trunk in the currently unused warehouse.  It was big.  It was empty.  And it was definitely unnerving.

Chang had gotten his security bracelet removed and then brought him here.  To wait apparently.  Wash wasn't sure for what.

He hadn't seen or heard anything about Serenity or its crew.  And he couldn't for the life of him wrap his head around what was happening.

One minute he's dumped on some dirt clod planet and forced to work in fields from sunrise to sunset; the next he's picked up, dusted off, and seemingly being set free.  But why?

Wash heard the door open and looked up.

Lee.

He supposed she might be the reason behind this.  Maybe she wasn't as bad as he'd thought and had arranged his release.  You never could tell what some people were about.

Wash stood up to meet her.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"There's been a change of plan," she said not looking at him directly.  She was keeping her head down, being evasive.

"Yes, well that I figured…"

He stopped cold.

He hadn't seen the gun until she raised it at him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Wash," she said, her voice was terse, "you should have just gone along.  Why couldn't you have just gone along for once in your life?"

"You know me," he said with as much humor as he could muster.

"Yes I do.  And I'm sorry for this, but I don't have a choice."

She held the gun a bit higher, aiming for his head.

"Lee, you're really going to do this?"

"I told you, I don't have a choice.  Its you or me now Wash.  Sorry."

"I don't…"  
  
"…understand," she finished for him, "Well, your ship came back for you okay.  I didn't think they would the way you're always talking about going from one to the next.  Didn't think you had any real ties.  Damn it Wash."

Her hands were beginning to shake a bit.  For a moment they just stared at each other.  He could see the frustration in her eyes, and something close to fear.  Then she seemed to accept it and her look grew cold.

"Okay then," she started, her voice oddly distant, "let's get this over with.  Now just turn around and we'll…"  
  
"No," he said defiantly.

"Don't make this harder then it has to be."

Wash stood his ground.

"Wash, please" she begged, "Just turn around."

"No," he said a bit louder then before but every bit as defiant.  "If you're going to do this you're going to have to face me."

****

It had gone much as Mal had suspected it would.  Dennly didn't make excuses, didn't deny it.  But he also refused to come right out and tell them the truth.  Or so much as hint at what he was planning.  Mal wasn't sure if Dennly was going to let Wash go or kill them all.  Some people you just couldn't tell about.

He was a bit surprised when Inara suddenly, out of frustration, spoke up with such authority.

"Let's just cut through this, shall we?  You have our pilot.  We want him back.  We know he isn't dead.  We know he's being held here."

Both men stared at her as if she'd grown a second head.

"This is what's going to happen.  First _you're_ going to take us to him.  Now.  And then _we_ are going to leave and that will be that."

"Huh," Mal said after a moment's silence.  He was more then a bit surprised, he was damn near speechless.

Dennly was too.

"And what if I…"  
  
"You won't say no," Inara cut in.  "No would not be the right thing to say now.  No would cause me to call every connection I have inside and outside the Alliance and make you and your operation very, very unhappy and very, _very_ un-prosperous." 

Dennly wasn't sure if he believed her.  Not at first.   But she had such conviction.

"Alright then," he said with a bit of a smile.  "Let's go collect your pilot."

Inara smiled at Mal a bit as Dennly led them out the door and down a series of hallways.

"Where did that come from?" he whispered to her.

She didn't answer, just continued smiling.

They were approaching a door at the end of the corridor when they heard shouting.

Dennly slowed a bit and seemed to be listening to the exchange.

To Mal it sounded an awful lot like Wash behind that door.  And whatever was going on, it wasn't much good.

As Dennly reached the door Mal could tell something was wrong.  The man seemed tense.  Mal got himself between Inara and the man as a precaution.  This wasn't much good at all.

From behind the door they heard what sounded like Wash yelling 'If your going to do it then just do it already'.

Mal had been so intent on listening he hadn't noticed Dennly had opened the door and stepped inside.  Hurrying to catch him, he was too late.

Quicker then Mal had seen in a long time, Dennly had already drawn his gun and fired twice.

****

**A/N: **Don't cliffhangers suck?


	14. Walk Away

**Infectious by SLynn**

**Notes:  **Sorry for the cliffhanger and the wait… what can I say, I'm evil.

**Chapter 14:  Walk Away**

Mal hadn't thought about it, he had only reacted.

No sooner then Dennly had fired the second shot, Mal had his own gun leveled at the man's head.  'Two shots,' he thought, 'He got off _two_ shots.  Gorram it.'  But he hadn't looked.  Hadn't taken his eyes off of Dennly.

"Drop it."

Dennly kind of laughed and turned towards him, his own gun still raised.

"Now Mr. Reynolds, I don't think you want to do that."  
  


He felt Inara tugging frantically on the back of his coat.

"Mal," she whispered harshly.  He ignored her for the time being.

"Give me a reason not too," Mal said, his voice oddly calm.

"Because, I'd hate to have to kill Mr. Warren."  
  


Mal allowed himself a quick look.  Wash was definitely moving.  The same could not be said for Lee.

Slowly Mal lowered his gun.  Dennly did the same.

"You have fifteen minutes to be gone.  Don't try anything rash, just walk away.  I won't be expecting you back."

No sooner then he'd said it, Dennly was gone.

Mal and Inara hurried over to help Wash up.  No one spoke.  Wash had been hit in the forearm, but wasn't bleeding badly.  Lee on the other hand had been hit straight between the eyes.  Inara was carefully avoiding looking at the woman Mal noticed, but Wash on the other hand couldn't seem to look anywhere else.

"Come on," he said nudging the man along.  He'd have probably stayed there if he hadn't.

Mal grabbed up Wash's trunk and the three of them headed back out into the corridor.  An armed man was waiting for them to lead them back to Serenity.  Jayne was waiting at the end of the ramp for them.  He had Vera with him.  As they approached Jayne hollered something up the ramp to either Kaylee or Zoë, Mal couldn't be sure which, and then proceeded to help Mal with the trunk.

By this time Inara had to physically help Wash up the ramp.  He looked bad but Mal didn't think it was anything more serious then shock.  Some people reacted differently to things like this.  As far as Mal knew, Wash hadn't ever seen some one killed.  Inara either.  It was always rough, but that first time was always particularly bad.

Serenity began to hum to life meaning Zoë must still be at the helm and had gotten word they'd come back.  

Kaylee was waiting just inside the cargo hold for them.  She was smiling big until she got a good look at Wash.  Her face dropped immediately.  

"Alright," Mal said as he and Jayne dropped the trunk, "let's get out…"  
  


The words had died on his lips as he noticed the expressions on the rest of the crew.  Inara looked like she was about to be ill.  Kaylee looked stricken.  Even Jayne didn't look right.  And Wash, he hadn't even stopped.  He had just kept on walking towards the bridge.

"Should we maybe go get him?" Kaylee asked half-heartedly.

"No," Mal said shaking his head, "give him some time.  He'll be fine."  
  
Mal looked at Inara again.  She really did look bad.

"You okay?"  
  
At his words, maybe because of them, she straightened herself and seemed more composed.

"Yes," was all she said before she headed off towards her shuttle without another word.

Soon after Mal just picked back up the trunk and headed towards Wash's bunk with it leaving Kaylee and Jayne staring after him in confused silence.

****

Zoë had heard footsteps behind her and assuming it was Mal let him know that they'd be off shortly.

"I'll take it," Wash said sitting in the pilots seat beside her.

She turned and looked at him, surprised to say the least.  He was already flipping switches and changing over the controls.  He looked like hell.

Zoë saw him grit his teeth as he took the controls to fly Serenity out.  She hadn't noticed that his right arm was bleeding until then.  Looked to her like a gunshot wound.

"You're hurt."

Wash glanced down at his arm but was careful not to look at her.

"I'm fine."

A noise from the doorway drew her attention away and she saw Mal had joined them.  He gave her a look that clearly said 'Let him be' and so she did.  For now.  It was a long ride out of the atmosphere and the three of them remained perfectly quiet.  Soon as they were a good distance from Medea Wash set in a course and got up.  He mumbled something neither of them could hear and left just like that.

Zoë questioned Mal with a look of her own.

"Lee's dead," he answered.

Zoë nodded.  She looked back at the doorway Wash had left through not certain if she should follow him.

For a moment there seemed to be no sound in the room.

"You should probably check out his arm.  Could be bad."

Zoë didn't need any other encouragement.

"But Zoë," Mal said before she got completely out the door.

"Sir?"

"Give him a minute or two."

Zoë nodded and headed back out the door leaving Mal alone at the helm.

****

Instinct had taken Wash back to his bunk and he wasn't sure why.  All he knew was that he couldn't sit still.  He had to keep doing something or else he'd find himself thinking about what had happened back at…

There he went again.  Wash didn't want to think about it.  Not at all.  Instead he kept moving things around his room.  First he had taken out a few of his personnel affects placed them on the nightstand.  Then he thought better of it and packed them up again.  He still didn't really know whether or not he'd be staying, if Mal was going to let him, or if he even wanted too.

It was crazy really.

Just last night all he'd wanted was to be right where he was now.  And now… now he just wasn't sure.

Why had they come back for him?

More importantly, why had they left him in the first place?

And he couldn't just ask.  Wash didn't trust himself to talk to anyone just yet.  He knew if he did he'd say something he'd regret.  Or worse.  He might just lose it all together.

Wash had stopped moving and found himself facing a wall.  He clenched his hands and took a deep breath.  He felt a bit better for it; all of him accept his arm.  He looked at it and thought it couldn't be that bad.  It hardly bled anymore.  Still, he knew he'd have to have someone look at it, sooner rather then later.  Unfortunately that someone was the one person he _really_ didn't want to see.

That was crazier still.

He'd thought about Zoë damn near every moment he'd been away.  Couldn't not think about her.  There was nothing between them and he was fairly certain there never would be.  And yet…

He hadn't counted on being this angry.  

Wash couldn't help but think that maybe if Lee hadn't been killed he wouldn't be so angry.  That was what was making all of this so tough.

Lee had been his friend.  Maybe not the best of friends, especially as of late, but she had been his friend.  They had grown up together.  She knew better then anyone what he'd gone through and why he'd left Demeter because she'd seen it first hand.  She'd lived it too.

And Wash just saw her killed.  And it made him angry.

He was angry with Dennly.  He was angry with Lee.  He was angry with Mal.  He was even angry with Zoë.  

But mostly he was angry with himself.

This was all his fault.

A loud bang from the top of the ladder let him know he had a visitor.  He knew who it would be and likely why they were here.

For a moment he considered not answering.  

He could very easily just let her walk by.  She'd knock a few times more and then give up and that would be that.  Wash had already set course for Persephone.  Once there he could get off of Serenity and just not get back on.  

All of this was becoming too hard.  Just being here was hard.  That was the real reason he'd never stayed put anywhere for too long.  He hadn't wanted to get attached.  Wash had left Demeter and had never wanted to get attached to anyone or anything.

He heard it again, a knock from upstairs, and struggled against himself.  He stood stone still and waited.  He could sense her struggle as well.  

If she just walked away now he'd be okay.  If he didn't have to see her again he could leave Serenity without regret.  Wash thought he might be able to go through with it if she just walked away now.  

But she didn't.  She knocked again and Wash suddenly found that he didn't have the willpower to do it. 

"Come in."

He knew from this point on he'd never find it in him to let go.  Not of her and not of Serenity.  That after this, no matter what, he wouldn't be able to just pick up and leave like he'd done a dozen times before.  He was already attached despite himself.  Part of him was glad.  

Still facing the wall he heard her approaching.

A part of him was also petrified.  This was it.  Staying meant putting himself out there.  Putting it all on the line.  He knew Zoë wasn't the type of woman who would string a guy along, so at least if she didn't want him it would be over quick.  It would still hurt like hell, but at least it wouldn't be unnecessarily dragged out.  

And he had to tell her, good or bad.  It was as if it had all become incredibly clear.  Not easy, just clear.

"Wash?"

He finally turned towards her, but still couldn't look at her.  Not just yet.

"Captain said I should check out your arm."

He nodded and sat down on his bunk.  Zoë sat next to him and looked at the wound.  She had brought some supplies with her, which she now took out.

"Hope you don't like this shirt," she said as she began cutting off the sleeve.

"It's not one of my better ones."

  
She kind of smiled, glad to hear him sound a bit more like himself.

"Doesn't look too bad.  Just going to have to get out the bullet and give you a few stitches."

He nodded as she went to work.

The silence wasn't exactly comfortable.  It felt strained and unnatural.

"You going to leave?" she asked as she started to finish up.

"No."

"But you were thinking about it?"

He turned towards her, finally looking her in the eyes.  She'd finished his arm but was still holding it.

"Yeah.  I was."

She held his gaze a moment longer then looked away and began packing up the supplies.

"What made you change your mind?"  
  


Wash wanted so badly to tell her the truth, but when he spoke he found himself saying something asinine about owing Mal.  So much for putting it out there.

She stood up to leave and he stood with her.

"I'm glad you're staying."

"Me too."

Neither of them moved.  It was like being in a trance for Wash.  She was so beautiful.  He knew now he'd have never made it off the ship even if he'd tried.

As if she was reading his mind, she smiled at him.

He didn't know what to do.  He wanted to speak but couldn't find _anything_ to say.  So they just stood there not talking which was even more awkward.

"There's something I need to tell you," Wash finally began.

A knock at the door broke the door interrupted them.

"Come on down," Wash shouted a little louder then he needed too.  He couldn't help it, he'd been so relieved.  He hadn't the foggiest what he was about to say to her.  She was making him crazy.  Wash had been fairly certain that if someone hadn't interrupted them he would have been declaring his undying love in song right about now.  Not good.

It was Mal.

"How's the arm?" he asked.

"Better."

"Good.  We need to talk."

Wash's face dropped.  He should have guessed.  Mal was going to throw him off of Serenity after all.  That was his type of luck.

"I'll leave then," Zoë said starting to step around them.

"No," Mal stopped her, "you can stay.  You probably should hear this too."

Both Zoë and Wash looked at him concerned.  Questioningly.

"Wash's got a story to tell."

****

**A/N:**  Obviously I couldn't kill Wash!  Besides being a part of the show he's my favorite.  Aside from that, honestly, this was the hardest chapter I had to write.  Please, please provide feedback.  Let me know if it makes sense.  I've read and re-read it so many times I can't be objective.  Thanks!  One or two chapters more to go at most.


	15. The Other Half

Infectious by SLynn Chapter 15:  The Other Half 

Wash continued looking puzzled.

"What story?"

"The one you started telling before you left my ship," Mal said sitting down.  

Wash thought Mal was enjoying watching him squirm, but he couldn't tell if he was being at all serious with him.  With Mal sometimes it was hard to tell seeing as he never changed the inflection of his voice.

"Now?"

"Good a time as any," Mal responded, indicating for Zoë to sit too, "although you might want to fill Zoë in some.  She missed the first part."  
  


"You're serious?" Wash questioned, getting a bit red in the face.

"I am," Mal said and Wash knew it was true.  "If you want to stay aboard this ship it's time to come clean.  No more secrets here.  I'll promise you that what you say stays here but I _am_ going to know.  Now."

"Okay," Wash nodded and took a seat at the only available spot, his one chair.  "You both know about my father, so there's no point going back over that…"  
  


"How about you start with the part where they made you a cadet."

Wash could tell by Zoë's face that this was news to her.  Not so much her face as her eyes.  She never let her face give away too much, but her eyes subtly betrayed her.  

That had been a surprise.  He'd been positive by now Mal would have said something to her, but he suppose he had waited to hear Wash out.  That had been damn fair of him.

"Alright," Wash said looking down a bit.  "When you turn fifteen on any of the core planets you have to submit to a bunch of tests.  They're supposed to determine what you're good at, how you'd best serve the Alliance."

Wash cleared his throat.

"So I took all my tests, bunch of written stuff and some physicals, and at the end of it they say I should be a pilot.  I didn't argue because, well because you couldn't."  

He paused and they both stared at him.  He knew what they were waiting for.

"That and I wanted to fly."

"What type of pilot they make you?"  
  


'Damn it Mal,' Wash thought as he rubbed his head.

"Fighter pilot," he continued, "They wanted to make me a fighter pilot."  
  


"So?" Mal continued to prod.

"So, at sixteen you enter.  Whatever school they pick out for you at sixteen you enter.  Usually means being away from home three to four years, my case the town we lived in had an academy."

"Is that where you met Lee?"

It was the first time Zoë had spoken since the 'interrogation' had begun, but her voice wasn't hard.  To Wash she sound genuinely interested and he appreciated it.  None of this was easy to talk about but at least now he didn't feel so judged.

"No actually, I grew up with her.  She and I lived a couple doors down from each other most of our lives."

Wash stopped again to collect his thoughts.  Thinking about Lee still hurt.  In a weird way he was going to miss her, despite how she'd turned out.

"It's kind of funny because she was the one that really wanted to be a pilot.  It hadn't ever entered my head till they told me that was what they wanted me to do, but it sounded good.  We both got tagged for it but about half way through training they found a minor heart defect in her.  Wasn't nothing too serious, but they don't take chances like that.  Switched her to engineering."

"Okay," Mal said redirecting him, "you go in, why aren't you flying for them now?"  
  


"I didn't want too."  
  


Both Mal and Zoë looked at him oddly.

"I thought you said…"

"Ah," Wash said interrupting Mal, "trained yes.  I had no choice in that.  You have to go where they tell you or you end up working, well, in fields or worse.  I knew I didn't want that."

"But how then?"  
  
"I failed the exit exam."  
  


"Failed?"

"Miserably."

Mal just kind of smiled at him.

"I always made sure I scraped by on the level tests, wanted as much information as I could get, but I never intended to actually fly for them.  Not after what happened to my father."

"They never suspected anything?"

"Might have.  Don't know for certain, I was never a great student or anything, so I don't imagine they were ever that suspicious.  Lots of folks fail out; those aptitude tests aren't one hundred percent accurate.  If they had of caught on I wouldn't be here that's for sure."

"So you never actually flew for the Alliance?" Mal asked.

"Couple of training missions around Demeter," Wash said truthfully.  "Most of the course work was simulators."

"So that's everything?"

"Just about," Wash said nodding, "unless you want to continue on from where I left Demeter?  We could go ship by ship, but it'll take awhile."

"Nah," Mal said getting up, "I think that's enough for now."

"So I can stay?"  
  
Mal looked to Zoë.

  
"What do you think?"

"I don't know.  He still seems shady to me."

Wash rolled his eyes.  It was almost as if they scripted this stuff.  Rehearsed it late at night when no one else was awake.

"Yeah, plus that hair," Mal continued, "looks like someone hacked it off with a buzz saw."  
  
"Actually, that's pretty close to true," Wash interjected running a hand over his newly shaved head.

Both of them laughed a bit.

"I'd keep him," Zoë said looking at Wash with a bit of a smile, "be too much trouble to break in a new pilot."

"Reckon you're right," Mal finished.

"Are you two done now?"

Mal and Zoë both nodded.  It was nice that there was no longer a sense of strain between the three of them.

Before Mal started up the ladder, he turned back to him.

"One last thing."

"Yeah?"

"Your father," Mal began, "you find out who turned him in?"

Wash looked as if he'd been hit in the stomach.  Mal hadn't meant for that, he'd just been curious.

"It was my mother," Wash said quietly, briefly meeting Mal's eyes and then looking away.

Mal kind of nodded a bit and then turned to go.

"Zoë?" he called as he got to the ladder.

"In a minute," she said not really looking at him.  She was obviously concerned about Wash.

Mal left without saying another word.

"You alright?" Zoë asked.

"Yeah," Wash said taking in a deep breath.  "I don't think about these things a lot.  On top of everything else, it's been a long day."

 "I should probably go," she said, "let you get some rest."

"Yeah, probably."  
  


Neither of them had moved.  Not one bit.  He didn't want her to go.  He wanted her to stay.  Right where she was.  Possibly forever.

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

They were standing so close he swore he could smell her shampoo.  It was like lavender.  She always reminded him of lavender.  And he couldn't move.  Just couldn't move away from her.  It was like he was experiencing an epidemic of paralysis.

"You'd wanted to tell me something earlier."

She hadn't questioned.  It was a statement.

"Yeah," Wash said finally breaking eye contact with her, "but it can wait.  It's not that important."  
  


She smiled and nodded.  For the second time he thought she might be reading his mind.

"If you say so."  
  


He looked back into her eyes and had opened his mouth to speak but wasn't sure what he was going to say.  Now he felt paralyzed and mute.  

He wanted to tell it all to her.  Tell her what she meant to him.  Tell her how much he just wanted to hold her.  Tell her a hundred thousand things that didn't make sense.

And suddenly he found he didn't have too.

They'd kissed.

He wasn't sure if he'd leaned into her, or if she'd leaned into him.  Maybe they had both leaned in at once.  It didn't matter.

All that mattered at that moment to Wash was that he was kissing the woman of his dreams.

****

Mal had left in a foul mood.

He was glad that Wash had come clean.  Glad to have finally heard the whole of it.  And more so he was glad to find that Wash was as trustworthy as they'd always thought.  However he was not pleased about the Wash and Zoë's now _obvious_ involvement.

These sorts of things were never good.  They complicated things that didn't need complicating.  Worse still, they seemed to spread.

They were both adults, he knew that.  They had every right to happiness and he wasn't about to go denying it to them.  He couldn't very well tell them to knock it off.  But he also couldn't very well have a ship full of moony-eyed lovers.

What he didn't doubt was that Zoë would always be professional.  No matter what happened.  Wash on the other hand he wasn't so sure about.  The man didn't have a short fuse, but he did have a temper.  And without doubt he had an authority problem.

And these things always ended badly.  What where they expecting?  Marriage?  Kids?  No, eventually it would end.  And if push came to shove, if things got bad, Mal knew he'd be out a pilot not a first mate.  That was certain.

'I can just ignore it,' Mal thought as he entered the common room and threw himself into the corner chair.  Kaylee, Jayne and Inara were all there.  They had all looked up but seeing his mood quickly went back to what they'd been doing before he'd entered.

'Could be nothing.  Could just go away on it's own,' he continued in his head.

He looked over to Kaylee and Jayne.  They'd resumed playing cards, laughing about something.  Sitting too close in Mal's opinion.

Mal stood up, fuming.

"Don't you go getting any ideas," he snapped at Kaylee and Jayne before heading for the door.

Neither of them knew what to say nor did they have the tiniest clue as to what that had been about.  They just looked after him briefly and then continued their game.

'It's like a plague' Mal thought to himself throwing one last look their way.

Before he got completely out the door he caught a glimpse of Inara smiling at him as if she understood what he was thinking.

'Yep.  It's definitely infectious.'

**The End**

********

**Story Notes **

**(moved here to comply with new site guidelines – no changes from previously posted material)**

Hope you liked the story, it took me long enough to finish.  I'm not sure if I'll write another Firefly for a while.  This piece is a standalone, although I might write another taking place a few months later.  Although, it should be less dramatic.  I'm all drama'd out.

A few notes on the story.  Consider this a behind the scenes if you will.  You may or may not find this interesting, but I feel compelled to write it.

This story basically came out of one place, Wash's name.

The first time I heard the term 'wash' (aside from the dishes!) was in basic training for the Air Force.  Wash was the term used to describe someone failing.  Some one, if they failed to meet standards was said to have been washed back.

Since I don't believe in coincidences, especially concerning anything in the Whedon-verse, I assumed that this couldn't just be accidental.  So this story is my explanation of that.

Initially the story was going to be a more 'outbreak' centered.  Eden Station was going to play host to where Serenity'd go for help.  For reasons I can't explain, it just didn't happen that way.  When I started writing that it just didn't work.

One of the first scenes I envisioned was the one between Adrienne and Wash at the end, the standoff.  On the show Wash never did much actual gunplay, but I never had him pegged as a coward.  For one, Zoë'd never marry a coward.  In my mind, given that situation, he'd not only stand his ground but would in no way make it easier on the other person.  The original idea involved Adrienne actually going to do it and Mal being the one to kill her.  Again, that involved the 'outbreak' scenario, so although the basic idea for the scene stayed, a lot changed.

 A scene I completely cut is below.  At one time I was going to have Dennly pick up Zoë while Mal and her had spied on the place.  Basically here Wash still was assuming Serenity et al had just up and left him and now he found himself locked up with Zoë.  I loved the final but ended up not using it, so I'm putting it here.

****

Wash walked continuously from one corner to the next.  There wasn't a lot of room but he couldn't let himself sit still.  If he sat he might talk and if he talked he might yell.  The room wasn't big to begin with, but his restlessness made it that much more so.

"Are you going to stop that any time soon?"

He couldn't believe it, still could not believe it.  Here was Zoë, like he'd wished for all these nights, and she was talking to him like nothing had happened.

At first he was just going to ignore her and the question, but he found he couldn't.  Instead he began stammering out some form of the question 'What are you doing here?'

Apparently, despite his enunciation, she'd understood, but before she could answer he interrupted.

"I can't believe this.  Really, can not believe this."

Even a blind man could see that Wash was about to explode but Zoë had to try to get through.

"Let me explain."  
  
"Explain?" he asked incredulously, "Explain?  You left me here as slave labor for these degenerate assholes and I'm supposed to just pretend nothing is wrong and listen to you explain.  Why?  Why are you here at all?  Did you and Mal forget to kick me while I was down and thought now was as good of a time as any?"

Zoë waited and after a few minutes time it seemed most of the anger had drained from him.

"I knew he was mad but I didn't think he'd do this," Wash said no longer sounding angry but more disappointed and almost sad, "I didn't think you…."

"We thought you were dead," Zoë cut in.  It was the only thing she'd done or said so far that had caught his attention.

"We thought you were dead," she repeated, her voice was hollow, "and they carried you off of Serenity on a gurney.  The poison had showed back up in your system, you'd passed out and were damn near delirious before that."

Wash continued to listen to her and sank to the floor no longer feeling the need to pace.

"We didn't want to leave you here.  We didn't know we were.  I can only say that we were all in a collective shock about it and didn't delve.  Mal was the one that figured it out, figured we'd been shuffled away a bit to quick.  Thought it had all been wrapped up too neatly.  We've been watching for weeks, trying to figure out how to get you out again."

Neither of them spoke.  Zoë had been talking to the walk the entire time, avoiding him as best she could in the cramped quarters.  Wash had taken to staring at his feet.  

"I thought I killed you."  
  
Her voice had cracked at the end causing Wash to look up sharply.

She was crying.  He'd made her cry.

"I'm such an idiot," Wash said getting up quickly to go to her, "I'm so…"  
  
"Don't," she interrupted sharply stopping him in his tracks.

The looked at each other for a beat and she had regained herself.

"Don't apologize to me," she continued her tone less harsh then previous but not nearly as warm as it had been.  

****

Last note:  I chose Medea, Aeetes, Chronos, and Absyrtis as names for planets because they all come from Greek mythology.  No particular reason other then that.  Jubilee, I'll admit, I stole from the X-Men.

Thank everyone again and again for your reviews!  I hope you enjoyed the story and the ending.


End file.
